


Through Time And Space

by badly_knitted



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Beyond the Rift, Children of Earth Fix-It, Community: fan_flashworks, Episode Fix-It: The House of the Dead Audio Drama, Fix-It, Gen, M/M, Original Character(s), TARDIS Coral
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-11
Updated: 2015-11-16
Packaged: 2018-02-17 00:07:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 83,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2289713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badly_knitted/pseuds/badly_knitted
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The House of the Dead is destroyed, the Rift closed. What of Ianto? He finds himself somewhere he never expected to be! A Fix-it adventure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In The Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the recent Amnesty Challenge at fan_flashworks using Challenge #80: Shinies – "Nothing So Simple As Darkness, My Dear"
> 
> This is a fix-it set in the same universe as my drabble ‘Living Paradox’. It’s the start of the story. I have no idea where I will go from here; it may well be dependent on inspiration from future challenges.
> 
> **Spoilers:** For CoE, House of the Dead

He’d done what had to be done; the House of the Dead was destroyed, the Rift closed for good. He should be dead. Again. That he’d been alive again, however briefly, had been unexpected but he’d been grateful, nonetheless. It had given him the opportunity to see Jack again, one last time. To kiss him and say goodbye properly, something he hadn’t really been able to do lying on the floor of Thames House, unable to see and barely able to speak.

It had given Jack a chance too; to finally say the words Ianto had longed to hear from him. He’d already been pretty sure Jack loved him, but still, it was nice to hear him say it. 

He didn’t feel dead, which was odd. If he were dead, he shouldn’t really be able to feel anything, should he? Well, he wasn’t sure about that. It rather depended on whether there was anything after death. He wanted to believe there was, but everything Suzie had said that time she’d been brought back to life seemed to indicate that there really wasn’t. Owen had agreed.

Cautiously, Ianto opened his eyes; not that it did any good. It was dark. Such a heavy, thick darkness it was like being smothered in black velvet. He shuddered and closed his eyes again. That idea was either deeply disturbing or seriously kinky, and he wasn’t sure which bothered him more. On top of that, he could almost feel the darkness moving around him.

“Oh, it’s nothing so simple as darkness, my dear,” a sultry woman’s voice whispered. There was no sound, the silence that surrounded him was deafening; the voice had been inside his head. “Darkness is merely the absence of light, but this place has never known light, or sound, touch, scent or taste. Technically, it isn’t even a place. There has only ever been nothingness here, the absence of everything.”

“What is this place that isn’t a place then?” Ianto asked, the words taking form in his head, “and who are you?”

“It is nowhere; it doesn’t exist in any dimension, it is the void in between, half a step to the left of everywhere. Things sometimes get lost and pass through, disturbing the nothing for an instant, but they never stay. There is no time here either and time, as much as space, is required for things to exist.”

That jolted Ianto. 

“I’m in the Rift!”

“No. The Rift was merely a doorway, one of many. You are in the nothing that exists between Rifts. The doorway you entered by no longer exists. Another doorway will pull you through instantly.”

“Instantly? Then why hasn’t it happened yet?”

“There is no time here. Everything happens in one single instant. You leave at the same moment you enter, but your brain must process everything in a linear fashion, as is its nature.”

“Like dreaming. Dreams happen in a moment but seem to last a long time.”

“Yes, like that, in a way.”

“You never said who you are.”

“I am… unsure. There was an explosion at the nexus of the Rift. I was close by and was caught. I was immature, but now I am grown. Such things can happen when time isn’t a factor. You are within me, it would seem that I have grown around you; we are one, yet separate. I do not understand; perhaps I will when time becomes a factor once more.”

Ianto tried to get his head around what he’d been told, though he understood little of it. He was jolted out of his musings when he hit a very solid floor. Hard. The fact that there _was_ a floor came as a surprise; the brilliant light that filled his vision came as more of a screaming agony along his optic nerves.

“Fuck! Too bright!” He shut his eyes tightly and buried his face in his arms, still blinded by afterimages.

“Apologies,” the voice in his head murmured. “I will lower the lights to a more acceptable level.”

“Thank you, I appreciate that,” Ianto muttered, voice somewhat muffled. “Still in my head then, are you?”

“Where else would I be? You are within me, as I am within you.”

Opening his eyes again, more cautiously this time, Ianto risked peering carefully between his lashes. His vision was still a bit blurry from being dazzled, but the light was soothingly on the dim side of comfortable and he was able to make out his surroundings. He was lying on a waxed wooden floor in a large octagonal room with a high, vaulted ceiling. Comfortable sofas and chairs were arranged around the wall, with a variety of low tables arrayed in front of them. The air smelled of excellent coffee.

In the middle of the room stood a large and complicated looking bank of machinery, full of levers, buttons, dials, computer screens and flashing lights, along with a number of less identifiable attachments and doohickeys. He stared, dimly aware that his mouth was hanging open.

“Bloody hell! I’m in a TARDIS!”

 

TBC


	2. Explorations Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto takes stock of his situation, exploring his mental and physical condition, before setting out on the first stage of a thorough exploration of his new home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Challenge #95: Exploration at fan_flashworks. 
> 
> This is the first of two chapters written for this challenge, because it was getting way too long to post in one piece and there was a natural break that made dividing it into two parts simple.

“Bloody hell! I’m in a TARDIS!” Ianto’s words echoed loudly around the control room. He winced; he hadn’t realised he’d shouted. He felt he was justified though. It was rather an unexpected development; he had every right to be a bit startled. The voice in his head must be the TARDIS itself. _Her_ self, he corrected himself. The voice was definitely female. Were all TARDISes female? Would it be rude to ask? Would she even know?

“TARDIS?” the voice in his head murmured. “Yes, I believe you are correct.”

“Which begs the question; whose TARDIS are you? Is there a Time Lord around somewhere? I wouldn’t want to be accused of trespassing.” Ianto sat up carefully. For someone who’d recently been blown up, he felt a lot better than he probably should, but it might be a good idea to check that he didn’t have any serious injuries before he tried anything too advanced, such as standing up. Shock could affect people in strange ways. 

“I have been monitoring your life-signs; you are in excellent health and quite undamaged.”

“I got blown up. I should be dead. I was holding the bomb and it was a pretty big explosion.” He looked quickly at his hands, both surprised and relieved to note they were still attached. Just to reassure himself, he examined the rest of his body, checking for pain or any other signs of injury and finding none.

“You were dead, briefly. Now you are not. I am glad; I did not wish you to be dead. I would have been alone.”

“Well, that’s good. I didn’t want to be dead either. I much prefer being alive.” Ianto felt more than a little dazed at the news. He seemed to be dying rather a lot lately. “Um, this is probably a stupid question, but… If I was dead, then how am I not dead now? Did you fix me?”

“No, I was not responsible, I am unsure if I have that kind of power. Your whole being is saturated in vortex energy. It appears to have soaked into every cell of your body, becoming a part of you; I believe it was that which restored you to life. Are there others of your kind who carry the vortex within them in this way? I seem to recall another like you, when I was very small. Or maybe I am mistaken.”

“I have vortex energy in me? How did that happen? _When_ did that happen?” 

“Perhaps it is a side effect of the explosion that closed the Rift you came through.”

Ianto wondered if he should lie down again until the shock passed, then realised he already was. He wasn’t quite sure when that had happened either. “Am I like Jack now? Stupid question, forget I said that. You don’t know who Jack is. Am I…?” He couldn’t say the word, unsure of whether he wanted the answer to be ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.

“Immortal?”

Ianto nodded. He seemed to have forgotten how to breathe.

“Your timeline is complex; I cannot be sure, but if it has a terminus it is beyond what I can currently perceive.”

All the air went out of Ianto’s lungs in a rush. Breathing. Right. Good. Although it probably wouldn’t matter if he didn’t breathe, he’d just die then come back again, like a certain immortal Captain of his acquaintance. Hello eternity! 

The giggling was decidedly undignified; he really should stop that. It was entirely possible that he might be slightly hysterical, although under the circumstances that could be excused. He concentrated on composing himself, gathering the shreds of his dignity, and sat up again. He suspected he wasn’t making a terribly good first impression. The TARDIS’s voice jolted him out of his reverie.

“As to whose TARDIS I am, I rather think I’m yours.”

“Pardon?”

“You asked who I belong to.”

“Sorry. Yes, I did.”

“There is no other living being present within my walls, nor has there ever been; therefore, logically I must be yours. I found you in the no-place; I was growing, but without form. You were the only other being present. I touched your mind and shaped myself from the images I found there, growing around you so we would not lose each other. Our minds became telepathically linked; it is how we communicate.”

“You can read my mind?”

“I see only what you allow me to see.”

“Oh. Okay, that’s good. Can you hear me when I don’t speak out loud?”

“Yes. I enjoy hearing your voice though. It is pleasingly melodic.”

“Welsh vowels. I used to know someone else who liked my voice.” Ianto sounded wistful even to his own ears. “Right, no good wallowing.” He scrambled to his feet. Most of his clothes remained on the floor. “Ah. That’s not good.”

“It would appear that the explosion caused some damage to your clothing.”

That was the understatement of the century.

“Yes, I’m noticing that.” He plucked at the remaining shreds of what had once been a very stylish suit. “Damn. I liked this suit. I don’t suppose you happen to have a change of clothes onboard, by any chance? I feel somewhat undressed.” Shredded underwear, a belt, most of a tie, half a shirt and one sleeve of a jacket definitely didn’t constitute suitable attire. Amazingly, his shoes seemed fine, although the tops of his socks were rather singed. He tried not to think about what condition his body might have been in before he revived.

“I believe so. There is a wardrobe.”

That was encouraging news. Ianto looked around the control room; three archways led off it through what he decided to term the three inner walls of the octagonal room; those furthest away from what he assumed was the TARDIS’s front door.

“Um, would you mind pointing me in the right direction?”

“Take the passage to your left.” The corridor beyond the indicated archway lit up with diffuse light, as if the walls themselves were glowing softly. Ianto set off down it, passing several doors positioned some eight metres or so apart on either side. He was curious about what might be inside the rooms, but exploring could wait until he was decently dressed. When he reached a fork in the passageway, he paused.

“Which way now?”

“Take the left fork to the stairs, go down two flights, turn right, then left, then the third passageway on the right. The wardrobe is at the end.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

It would have been easy to find his way even without directions as the TARDIS helpfully lit the correct corridors, leaving the others dim and shadowed. Before long he reached a wide door, which swung open smoothly when he pushed it. Beyond the threshold, lights started to come on, allowing him to see the extent of the room before him. It was spacious, easily the size of the Hub’s main area. The floor was carpeted in a deep red and racks of clothes were dotted about while the walls were lined with a variety of shelf units, drawers and cabinets, interspersed with full-length mirrors. It resembled a very classy tailor’s shop combined with a trendy boutique, but on a much grander scale. Ianto was speechless.

“I apologize. I have not yet reached optimum dimensions, and therefore many of my rooms are perhaps smaller than they should be. I hope you can find suitable attire despite the limited choices available.”

If the TARDIS considered this varied array of colours and styles limited, Ianto almost dreaded how much choice he’d have once she reached her full dimensions. As it was, he thought he could probably spend a good week in here trying on outfits.

“This is magnificent, very elegant indeed! I’m sure I’ll have no problem finding everything I could possibly need. But here I am spoiling it all by shedding bits of burnt cloth everywhere. I’m sorry. Is there somewhere I can dump these rags?” He indicated the tatters that still clung to his body.

“Place them in the disposal unit,” the voice in his head told him as a panel to the left of the door opened, revealing a narrow chute made of some kind of shiny plastic. “They will be recycled. There is a sonic shower unit next door to the changing rooms if you wish to freshen up before dressing.” Signs to that effect lit up further along the same wall.

“Looks like you’ve thought of everything!” Ianto commented, smiling approvingly. He quickly stripped himself of the tattered remains of his old clothes, tossing them into the disposal unit and wincing as bits fell off, making a mess on the floor. “I’ll vacuum that up after I shower, if you happen to have a vacuum cleaner available.”

“There is no need. The drones will clean up.” Several previously invisible niches appeared at the base of the wall and small robots, shaped rather like horseshoe crabs, trundled out, zipping back and forth across the soiled areas of the carpet and leaving it spotless.

“You have your own cleaning crew; I’m impressed.”

“I found the concept in your mind; it seemed an excellent idea.”

Ianto smiled wistfully. It had been an idea Tosh had been working on, small semi-organic robots that would ‘eat’ all kinds of rubbish, using it to fuel themselves.

“Tosh would have loved them. She would have loved you, too.”

“I believe the feeling would have been mutual. I regret that meeting your friend is not possible. Would you tell me about her sometime? So that I might know her through your memories?”

Ianto smiled a little sadly. He still missed Tosh a great deal. He missed Owen too, despite all their arguments.

“I’d like that. I imagine we’ll have plenty of time to talk. Seems I’m going to be around for a very long time.” It was a rather daunting prospect and his smile faded to be replaced by a slightly worried frown.

“Indeed.”

“Well, no good dwelling on what I can’t change. Besides, there are more urgent matters to consider.”

Ianto made his way to the shower and found that the TARDIS had helpfully labelled everything. There was even a plaque on the wall with simple step-by-step instructions for the uninitiated, complete with stick-figure diagrams. Chuckling to himself, he stepped into the shower cubicle.

Sonic showers were an interesting experience. While Ianto had to admit he rather missed good old hot water and soap, there was no doubt that the sonic waves rippling over his body left him feeling thoroughly clean and pleasantly tingly all over. Even his hair and teeth tingled. It was good to be clean again; he hadn’t realised how grubby he’d felt before.

Since time wasn’t an issue, Ianto decided to make choosing fresh clothes a leisurely experience. After all, what was the point in hurrying when he had all of eternity ahead of him? 

Exploring the shelves, drawers and cupboards, he found socks in all colours, including some that seemed to be every colour at once, underwear in every style and fabric he could imagine, t-shirts, sweat shirts, woolly jumpers, hats, scarves, gloves, pyjamas, shorts, swimwear… Presumably the ladies’ side would have the equivalent garments to adorn the fairer sex. He picked out dark red silk boxers and a pair of plain black socks, pulled them on and padded over to the racks of dress shirts. 

There must have been fifty different shades of red alone. In a fit of whimsy, he went through them until he found one that exactly matched his underwear. Everything seemed to be his size, which made sense since he was the only man aboard. He idly wondered if the women’s clothes were his size too; Jack would have a field day with that. Quickly he distracted himself from that train of thought. Jack wasn’t here; he could be anywhere in space or time. Ianto was alone except for the TARDIS. _His_ TARDIS. The thought gave him a warm feeling inside. Maybe he should pick up a random travelling companion the way the Doctor did, show them the wonders of the universe. It was an idea that merited further consideration, but it could wait. He wanted to adjust to TARDIS life himself first.

Slipping into the shirt and buttoning it as he walked, he made his way over to the suit section. He’d never seen so many finely tailored suits in one place. Every single one was of the highest quality and made of the finest fabrics known to man, and some that weren’t, presumably made from fabrics of alien origin. After due consideration, he finally selected a charcoal grey single breasted three piece suit with a faint red pinstripe. All he needed now was a tie. And maybe new shoes; the ones he’d been wearing, while undamaged, didn’t go with his new outfit. 

A brief search soon yielded the perfect accessories to complete his new outfit. Neatly tying the black, grey and red striped tie he’d selected, he slipped his feet into a rather dressy pair of black leather ankle boots that zipped seamlessly up the front by some alien mechanism he’d never encountered. They were so supple and lightweight, it barely felt like he was wearing shoes at all, yet they were also sturdy and practical; he had no doubt he could run in them should that become necessary. He checked his appearance in a nearby full-length mirror, ran a comb through his hair, adjusted his tie and the dark red handkerchief in his breast pocket, and smiled in satisfaction. Immaculate. Now he was ready to embark on exploring the rest of his new home!

 

Onward to Chapter 3 (To be posted next week, hopefully!)


	3. Explorations Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto explores his TARDIS and gets a few surprises along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second of two chapters written for Challenge #95: Exploration at fan_flashworks. 
> 
> **Spoilers:** Possible for CoE  & The House of the Dead radio play.

Since he was going to be living on board for the foreseeable future, Ianto thought it important to learn his way around his TARDIS. He didn’t want to have to keep asking her for directions all the time; that would make him appear lazy. Drawing a deep breath, he pushed open the door and strode out of the wardrobe, trying for an air of calm confidence. Exploring was something he knew how to do; after all, he’d explored and memorised every passageway and room in the Hub when he’d been looking for a safe place to hide Lisa. That had been an interesting experience despite the circumstances, but this was going to be a real adventure. He could feel excitement bubbling up inside him at the prospect and knew he was probably grinning like a loon.

“Right, let’s see what else you have on board!” It was all he could do not to rub his hands together in glee!

The short passageway leading to the wardrobe was devoid of doors, so he made his way back to the last junction. The most sensible course of action would be to head back to the control room by the same route he’d used to get here, checking out what was in the rooms he’d passed earlier. Sensible, yes, but not as much fun as the alternative. He turned in the opposite direction; if he did manage to get lost, he knew the TARDIS would guide him back again. 

 

Wandering along a multitude of meandering corridors and down two more flights of stairs, he quickly realised that unlike the interior of the Hub, the layout of the TARDIS was completely random. The corridors twisted and turned every which way, often going in directions that probably shouldn’t even have been possible; was that the result of his own confused state of mind when she’d been growing herself using images drawn from his memory? It was certainly going to make learning his way around rather complicated. 

Ianto gradually realised he hadn’t passed any doors at all in some time, not since long before he’d arrived at what seemed to be the lowest level, but he could feel a slight vibration through the tiled floors so there was obviously _something_ down here. Turning a final corner, he found himself in a short passageway, blocked at the end by what was most likely this level’s only door. Made of riveted metal, it looked solid and heavy, like a bulkhead door on a submarine.

“Is that where your, um, engine is?” 

“That is where my power core resides, yes.”

“Is it safe to look?”

“It will do you no harm. My systems are powered by the time vortex.”

“The same stuff that’s in me?”

“Indeed, though I require far more vortex energy than you could provide.” The TARDIS sounded amused.

Ianto looked thoughtful.

“The only other TARDIS I know about has to recharge periodically using Rift energy, but the only Rift I’m aware of is closed now.”

“I believe my systems are more efficient; I am, after all, a more recent model. I have evolved TARDIS technology considerably. Unlike earlier models, I am able to recharge whenever I am within the vortex travelling from one place or time to another.”

Ianto couldn’t help chuckling at the TARDIS’s smug tone.

“Oh, if we run into the Doctor, he’s going to be soooo envious!”

“The Doctor is a Time Lord.” It wasn’t a question, but Ianto answered anyway.

“Yes. The only one left.”

“Yes.” It was barely a whisper in his mind, tinged with regret and sorrow. Ianto understood. If the Time Lords were almost all gone, then so were their TARDISes. He couldn’t imagine how it must feel to be almost the last of your kind.

Running his hand sympathetically along the nearest wall, he walked up to what he decided to call the engine room door and peered through the thick glass observation window that was now set into it. Inside, surrounded by complicated organic technology, a column of blue and gold energy swirled restlessly, seeming to travel both upwards and downwards at the same time. It was hypnotically beautiful. Dragging his gaze away from it after staring for several minutes, Ianto leaned against the wall and looked up at the ceiling.

“This means I must be directly below the control room here, right? The energy flows straight up and through the Time Rotor there.”

“That is correct!” The TARDIS sounded pleased that he’d figured it out.

“So this is the central point, your heart.”

“Yes, the exact centre at my lowest point. All rooms on this level house the systems required for life support, power, recycling, navigation and propulsion. Most are walled off, existing in a near vacuum. There are double reinforced walls around all sensitive areas.”

Ianto nodded, taking in the information. 

“I’m not likely to need to enter any of those areas anyway, I shouldn’t think.”

“It is unlikely. The majority of my systems are autonomic; those that are not are under my direct control. Rather like you heart and lungs work without any conscious thought, while in order to walk, you must make a decision to do so. You are, in effect, inside my body.”

That was a slightly bizarre thought. He’d known TARDISes were living beings, but until now it hadn’t really registered that he was wandering around someone’s insides.

“Weird.”

“Not really. I designed myself to be a suitable accommodation for you.”

“From images you found in my mind.”

“Yes.”

“I’m starting to regret studying the works of Escher when I was at Uni,” he chuckled. “Some of your interior layout is rather unusual, to say the least.”

“Do you like it? I found it very interesting. I was unable to truly replicate the ideas, at least not without making detours into several other dimensions, which would have been impractical, but I was able to create a quite effective illusion in a few places.”

“I think it’s bloody marvellous!” Ianto grinned.

Heading back towards the stairs, he continued to trail one hand along her wall as he walked.

“To get here, I came down two flights from where the wardrobe is, but there was no exit from the staircase on the level above this.”

“That is correct. The compartments housing my systems have ceilings almost twice as high as you will find on the other levels.”

“So the wardrobe is on your lowest habitable level. What else is there? No! Don’t tell me. I think I’d prefer to find out for myself. It’ll help me learn my way around.”

Ianto broke into a jog as the stairs came into sight, bounding up them three at a time. As interesting as the engine room had been, it wasn’t really ‘his’ part of the TARDIS. Now that he’d got his bearings, the rest of his extraordinary new home beckoned. He couldn’t wait to discover what other wonders it contained!

 

OoOoO

 

Back up on what he’d decided to call the wardrobe level, he wended his way back through twisting, winding, doorless corridors to the short passage that led to the wardrobe itself.

“How come there aren’t any doors back there?” he asked, gesturing back the way he’d come.

“I couldn’t find anywhere to put rooms,” the TARDIS explained apologetically. “The corridors got in the way.”

“Ah. Yes, I can see how that might happen. They’re great corridors though, ideal for jogging. Uphill, downhill, lots of turns for variety; they’ll give me a thorough workout.” 

Somehow he got the distinct impression that the TARDIS was pleased that he approved of her layout.

Following the corridor in the opposite direction to the one he’d just been exploring, he checked out the two passages he’d passed earlier. The first led to what seemed to be an empty storage cupboard, lined with shelves.

“Always good to have somewhere to put things out of the way. I’m sure we’ll pick up all sorts of fascinating things on our travels.” 

Leaving the small room, he made his way back to the main corridor and down the third passage. This one opened into a brightly lit area with pale cream walls and a smooth, hardwearing fake wood floor. Everywhere he looked there was gleaming new gym equipment; rowing and cycling machines, weight benches, a couple of treadmills, aerobics equipment, dumbbells… A punching bag hung from a sturdy low beam in one corner and exercise mats lay rolled up by the walls. There was even a vaulting horse, a set of parallel bars and a set of those ring things hanging from the ceiling… He’d seen them when he’d watched bits of the last Olympics in between Rift alerts; what were they called? Oh, of course: rings. Ianto rolled his eyes. Fancy forgetting that! Whoever named the events and equipment obviously didn’t have much imagination. He shook his head, gazing around in wonder.

“Bloody hell! I could train for the next Olympics in here!” He glanced down at himself appraisingly. “Not too shabby. Guess it wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep in shape though. Never know what kind of trouble we might run into. You know, I haven’t seen a set-up even close to this since London. Never found anything this swanky in Cardiff, except for the more exclusive clubs that wouldn’t have wanted me as a member anyway. I’ll get myself kitted out later and try some of these out.” Working for Torchwood Three hadn’t left a lot of time for the kind of regular exercise regime he’d had back in London; he sort of missed it, even though he’d hated it with a passion at the time. Torchwood One staff had been expected to adhere to strict fitness levels, even those who only worked in admin. That had been the end of his smoking habit; Hartman had made it clear that she didn’t approve of employees smoking, though some of the braver souls had clung to their nicotine addictions.

Exploring further, Ianto discovered a small squash court, changing rooms, sonic showers, and to his surprise, a sauna. That would be bliss. The only thing better than steam for soothing aches and pains would be a hot tub. Maybe he’d ask the TARDIS later if he could have one of those too, if that wouldn’t be considered too greedy.

Back out in the main corridor one more, Ianto made his way to the next short passageway. Stepping through the door at the end, he found a small, tiled room, with an even smaller shallow pool in the middle. It was maybe a foot deep and filled with clear water, which felt pleasantly warm when he dipped his hand into it. 

During his wandering, he’d gradually begun to realise that he could feel the TARDIS in his mind as a constant, unobtrusive presence; it felt a bit odd having someone else in his head with him, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Now he discovered that if he concentrated, he could sort of sense what she was feeling. Right now, she was decidedly embarrassed.

“As I mentioned before, we exited the no-place before I could achieve optimum dimensions,” she informed him apologetically. “It was necessary to concentrate on vital systems first, then the control room and living quarters. The less essential rooms were left until last, and are therefore at varying stages of growth.”

If she could have blushed, Ianto was sure she would have. He hazarded a guess.

“Swimming pool?”

“Yes. I am sorry.”

“Don’t be; it’s cute, like a little paddling pool. It’ll be beautiful when it’s fully grown.” He looked around at the mosaic-tiled walls, where a frieze depicted colourful fish gliding amongst streamers of seaweed. “You have a wonderful eye for detail.” He hesitated for a moment then gave in to curiosity. “If you don’t mind my asking, how _do_ you grow?” It was a question he’d been meaning to ask for a while.

“It is not a particularly complicated process. Matter exists even in the vacuum of space. I can absorb stray particles, atoms and molecules, and manipulate them to grow whatever is required, but in space that takes a great deal of time. Growth will be faster when raw materials are more plentiful.”

“Like when you’re on a planet?”

“Yes. Then I will be able to absorb particles from the air around me and from the earth beneath me. Small, unwanted asteroids would be even better; they could be disintegrated and their component molecules absorbed, thereby allowing growth at a much faster rate.”

“Well, we should look into finding you an asteroid soon then.”

“That would be appreciated,” the TARDIS replied warmly.

 

OoOoO

 

The next floor up turned out to be the main residential level. Opening the first door he came to, Ianto discovered a fully equipped modern kitchen, complete with refrigerator, freezer, cooker, microwave, dishwasher, lots of storage space and even a state-of-the-art coffee machine. A quick check of the cupboards revealed them to be well stocked with everything he might need, from dishes and cutlery to staple foodstuffs, including a good range of premium coffee beans. The temptation was too much, so he paused to make himself a much-needed drink. Sipping slowly from his steaming mug, he examined the food storage cabinets while the TARDIS explained that all foodstuffs were stored in stasis to prevent them from spoiling. On opening a food cupboard, its stasis field would turn off briefly so that he could remove whatever he needed. Closing the door would turn it on again.

“Clever! Could have used something like that back in Cardiff,” Ianto commented wryly. “Sometimes I didn’t get home for a week or more, and by then the milk would be off and the bread covered in mould. At times it seemed like I threw out more than I ate.”

Leaving the kitchen a few minutes later, re-filled coffee mug in hand, Ianto continued along the wide, carpeted corridor to the next door, which opened into a small and delightfully cosy room. The floor was polished wood and dark oak shelves full of books lined the walls, while a comfortable couch and several easy chairs surrounded a wide fireplace. A few low tables, several luxurious rugs and discreetly placed reading lamps completed the furnishings. Once more, the TARDIS seemed vaguely ashamed, though Ianto couldn’t imagine why.

“I fear it is rather small for a library.”

Oh. Of course.

“Well, perhaps, but I like it; it’s the perfect size for a study or den. I always wanted a room like this, where I could just sit and read, listen to quiet music and relax. A full-size library would be nice too, when it’s practical to build one, but let’s keep this room as it is, okay? I think I’ll probably end up spending quite a lot of time here.” He settled into one of the big, comfortable chairs, feeling it mould itself to his body, and put his feet up on a conveniently placed footstool, feeling more at home than he had in a long while. He could definitely get used to this.

When he’d finished his coffee, he returned the mug to the kitchen, rinsing it and popping it into the dishwasher. There would no doubt be more dishes to wash later, after dinner. He wasn’t really sure what time it was, but taking the moment he’d been dumped unceremoniously on the control room floor as ‘morning’, he thought it was probably somewhere around mid afternoon by now. That meant he’d missed lunch, though he didn’t really feel hungry yet; eating could wait until later, there was no rush. Satisfied that the kitchen was clean and tidy, he returned to his explorations. 

Most of the other rooms on this level, while complete, remained empty. They weren’t needed since Ianto was the only person on board, so aside from forming them, the TARDIS had more or less ignored them. There were, however, a couple of comfortably furnished bedrooms, each with its own en suite bathroom, and it was while he was still trying to decide which he would choose as his own room that he got his biggest surprise.

Rounding the next corner, he found himself in a strangely familiar corridor leading to a plain wooden door. Turning the handle slowly, he pushed the door open and stepped into a suite of rooms that brought a lump to his throat and tears to his eyes; they were an exact replica of his old apartment in Cardiff, right down to the lumpy sofa, the battered coffee table and the photograph of himself and Jack in its simple black frame which sat on a shelf to the right of the TV. Picking it up, he ran his fingers lightly over Jack’s face, missing his Captain so much in that moment that he thought his heart might break in two.

“You are sad.” The TARDIS sounded as sad as he felt.

“Yeah. I miss Jack. He spent so much time at my place that in the end we were practically living together. This place just won’t feel the same without him.”

“I am sorry. It seems I have made a grievous error. I had thought these rooms would please you, they were so clear in your memory.” 

“No, they do please me. They’re a reminder of something, someone, I’ve lost and hope to find again.” He held up the photo as if showing it to the TARDIS. “This is Jack, my… well, my lover I guess. He didn’t really go in for labels. The last time I saw him was just before I got blown up closing the Rift. He told me he loved me.” Ianto wiped away a few stray tears. “I don’t know where he is now, but after everything that happened, I somehow doubt he would have stayed on earth. With the Rift closed, he wouldn’t really have any reason to.” He set the photograph back on its shelf. “I’m going to find him. I don’t know how yet, but I will, with your help. Even if it takes a thousand years I’ll find him, and then the three of us will travel together. I hope. He’s like me, immortal. Although, he was immortal first so I suppose it’s more accurate to say I’m like him now.”

Leaving the replica of his old home, he closed the door carefully behind him. It was somewhere he could retreat to whenever he wanted to feel close to Jack, but until he tracked down his lover, he intended to sleep in one of the other rooms.

Back at the stairs, he headed up to the level where the control room was situated; he’d have a quick look around and familiarise himself with the layout up there, then decide what to do next.

The doors he’d passed on his way to the wardrobe opened into more empty rooms, except for the one closest to the control room, which was a sort of locker room. Along with various equipment lockers containing spacesuits and other things that might prove useful when exploring hostile environments, there were bathroom facilities, sonic showers, a disposal unit, tools and a first aid kit. Very handy!

Two more passageways led off the control room. The one in the middle was the longest, stretching further than seemed possible, and had only one door down the far end, which opened into rather disconcerting nothingness. According to the TARDIS, that was where she planned to put the gardens when she had the time and sufficient raw materials to create them. From the look of it there was ample room for something quite extensive, although it was a bit hard to judge the extent of nothing.

The right-hand passageway proved to be similar to the left-hand one, except that instead of forking, it ended in a set of double doors. Ianto pushed them open, stepping into the room beyond as the lights came on, and stared in horror at the monstrosity that stood in the centre of the room. Backing hurriedly out again, he tripped on his own feet and sat down hard on the floor of the corridor as the doors swung closed, hiding the nightmarish vision from view.

“What the hell is that?” he asked in a shaky voice.

“It is the medical bay. Is something wrong?” The TARDIS sounded confused and concerned.

“Sorry. Flashbacks to something I’d just as soon forget,” Ianto explained. “It’s disturbingly similar to a cyber-conversion unit.”

“Oh dear. Forgive me; I thought you would prefer something familiar, but perhaps I should have checked my data banks. I will remodel it as soon as possible. I am familiar with a number of different styles, perhaps later I could show you visual representations and you could choose one that will not cause you distress.”

“Yeah, that would be good. Thank you. Perhaps you could dismantle that thing for now?” Ianto waved vaguely towards the doors. “I don’t really need it, being immortal,” and that really shouldn’t be so easy to say. “We can add a med bay later, if we pick up any passengers.”

“That is a practical solution.” The TARDIS was silent for a few minutes, then just as Ianto decided that his legs had stopped shaking enough that he could probably stand up without them giving way, she spoke again. “The equipment has been reabsorbed.” 

The doors before him swung open of their own accord, revealing a large room with clean white walls and a smooth black floor, cabinets and sinks around the walls, and nothing else. The centre of the floor where the medical unit had stood was now completely empty. Ianto breathed a sigh of relief; he felt a lot better just seeing for himself that it was gone. Conversion units still featured prominently in his nightmares.

“Thanks, that’s much better.” He scrambled to his feet and dusted himself off, not that he needed to; the floor was spotless, but the action was automatic, born of long habit. “Okay, just a few more rooms, and hopefully no more nasty surprises…” He turned back towards the control room, glancing briefly into a series of empty rooms along what was now the right hand wall of the passageway. 

As before, the room closest to the control room was the only one in use. This one turned out to be a kitchen, about half the size of the one on the level below and equally well equipped, just on a smaller scale. Making himself a soothing cup of tea, Ianto stepped back into the control room and settled himself on one of the sofas that were dotted around the wall. 

For the first time, he really paid attention to the layout and what he saw made him chuckle. It looked like an amalgam of every coffee shop he’d ever frequented, with added hints of the Torchwood Hub, but arranged to comfortably fit the control room’s octagonal shape. Where he was sitting, the floors were waxed wood, the walls a neutral shade like milky coffee, with lamp sconces dotted about between the framed pictures that broke up the plain expanse, adding a homely touch. There were even a couple of computers for the use of ‘customers’. 

The central area of the room around the control consol and time rotor was a raised platform, reminiscent of the Hub’s catwalks, but surrounded by gleaming brass railings instead of the cold iron ones he and Jack had leant against so often. The air smelled of coffee and looking around carefully, Ianto finally spotted the small coffee station set in a niche in the opposite wall. 

When he’d first arrived, he’d been too concerned about his state of undress to properly appreciate his surroundings, but now that he didn’t have anything to distract him, he could see that the TARDIS had done an excellent job of creating a control room that suited him perfectly. It was better than anything he could have dreamed up for himself and he relished the sense of belonging that it gave him.

Leaning back on the sofa, Ianto let his mind wander. What seemed like a lifetime ago now, Jack had told him one night as they lay in bed that someday he’d take him out among the stars, show him the wonders of the universe. Ianto hadn’t really believed him, had figured it was just idle pillow talk, but he’d daydreamed about it nonetheless, wondering what it might be like, where they would go and how they would get there. He’d always figured that if it _did_ ever happen, then he and Jack would be travelling with the Doctor. He’d never once imagined that he might be facing the greatest adventure of his life alone. 

But he wasn’t alone, was he? Not really, not even inside his own head. He had his TARDIS; a combination of mobile home and travelling companion, able to take him anywhere and anywhen imaginable. The thought was both exciting and terrifying, and he took a moment to consider how much his life had changed since he’d died; and really, the adventure had barely even begun yet.

Draining his cup and setting it on the low table in front of him which, he noticed, had coasters actually set into the surface, Ianto rose to his feet and made his way up the nearest set of steps to stand at the console.

“Okay, why don’t we find out where we are?”

 

Chapter 4


	4. Starsong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so Ianto’s in a TARDIS, but where exactly is the TARDIS?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s taken so long to get this part up. Between real life being a pain and Contest Week at fic_promptly, the time seems to have flown past. On the bright side, I have four chapters complete and one in progress, so here’s the first (and the shortest) of the completed chapters. I’ll try to update a little more regularly in future, but it rather depends on how long it takes me to write chapters since I have no idea where this will go with each new chapter. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> **Spoilers:** CoE, House of the Dead.

“Okay, why don’t we find out where we are?”

Such an innocent question; days later he was still chuckling to himself about it, but at the time he’d asked it so casually, expecting somehow to be on earth somewhere. The TARDIS reeled off a set of coordinates in his head that told him precisely nothing.

“Sorry, I was never that good at geography, I’ll just take a peek outside and we can go from there.”

He leaped back down the steps, strode over to the front door, pulled it open and promptly staggered backwards, eyes wide as saucers, feeling like all the air had been sucked from his lungs. Gathering his wits, he hastily slammed the door again and stood there, leaning against it, panting.

“Is there a problem?”

“We’re in space!”

“Yes.”

“I opened the door! Why wasn’t all the air sucked out? It’s a vacuum out there!”

“I have surrounded myself with a force field creating an atmospheric bubble to prevent such accidents.”

“Oh. Right. Good idea.” He calmed briefly before panic set in again. “We’re in outer space!”

“I believe that has already been established.”

The TARDIS sounded puzzled.

“Sorry, it’s a lot to get my head around. I’ve never been in space before.”

“I believe this is my first time too. It’s quite exciting!”

“Exciting? It’s terrifying!” Ianto struggled to get his thoughts in order so he could gather all the necessary information through a few carefully considered questions. He wasn’t very successful. “How? Where?”

“I do not understand.”

“I thought we were on earth!” 

“The Rift we entered was on earth. The one we exited is not.”

“Oh. How far from earth are we?”

“In distance or in time?”

Ianto slumped into the nearest chair.

“Both?” He wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to know.

“We are approximately four thousand and seventy three light years from earth, eight hundred and forty two years in your future.”

“That’s a long way. Very big numbers. I hadn’t expected to go so far on my first trip. I thought we’d start small, maybe take a look at the moon. I hear it’s nice, in an empty sort of way.” Slowly, he rose to his feet and approached the door again. “You wouldn’t let me fall out, right?”

“It is not possible to fall out, Ianto,” the TARDIS told him reprovingly.

“Of course, sorry, silly question.”

Opening the door a few inches, he peeped out and once again, his breath was stolen away; not by fear this time, but by awe. Stretching out before him, like multicoloured gems scattered across midnight black velvet, was a vast field of stars, with twisting, swirling streamers of red gas clouds twining through it. He pulled the door all the way open and sat in the doorway, staring out.

“What is that?”

“It is known by earth astronomers as the Rosette Nebula. It has other names, in other languages, most of them unpronounceable to humans, but that is the one you would be familiar with. It is still very far away.”

“It’s beautiful. I wish I could take pictures.”

“I am capable of recording images, if you wish.”

“I’d like that, thank you.” He glanced back into the TARDIS. “I don’t ever want to forget my first time in space.”

One of the screens on the console lit up and images stared to appear on it in quick succession; various views of the amazing sight outside the door, and even a few of Ianto himself, sitting in the doorway. He turned his attention back to the view.

“I feel like there should be music playing; something vast and timeless that captures the majesty of space, something like the Planet Suite, but bigger, grander. I wish I were a musician, a composer; I’d make music that sounded as if the stars themselves were singing.” 

“They do sing. Would you like to hear them?”

Ianto nodded.

“Yes, please.”

The sound that filled the control room was eerie, ethereal, a whispering, humming sound backed by a deep thrumming, sometimes rising to a high whistle. It wasn’t exactly musical, yet it was almost hypnotic and deceptively simple. In his head, Ianto started trying to conjure up a melody to meander through the song of the stars.

“That’s pretty,” the TARDIS whispered in the back of his mind. Smiling, Ianto began to hum and the TARDIS picked up the tune, subtly building on it, adding harmony. It was a wistful tune, tinged with the sadness of being far from all that was familiar, adrift in the vast nothingness of space but there was hope there too, wonder and awe.

Earth was far behind and the whole universe was spread out around him; instead of his intended cautious first step, he’d unknowingly taken a giant leap. He knew he should get back to earth; there were things back there that needed to be put to rights following the whole 456 debacle. Ianto wasn’t sure what he could do, but he felt he ought to do something to help his fellow humans pick up the pieces. There was no immediate rush though, he had his time machine and earth wasn’t going anywhere. Not this time anyway. He stretched out his legs, leant back on his elbows and started to sing softly to himself.

Symphony for Stars and TARDIS; soloist Ianto Jones. He laughed softly.

“What is funny?”

“When I was a kid, I used to dream of singing with the stars; this isn’t quite what I meant.”

He grinned. No, it wasn’t what he’d meant all those years ago, but it was a billion times better than anything he could ever have imagined!

 

TBC in Chapter 5


	5. Contrasts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sweet and sour, good and bad, bright and dark, happy and sad; the first day of Ianto’s new life is proving to be full of contrasts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Challenge #97: Sweet & Sour at fan_flashworks. 
> 
> **Spoilers:** CoE, House of the Dead

All good things must come to an end. As much fun as it was harmonizing sweetly with his TARDIS and the universe, Ianto knew he couldn’t sit there forever. He was just delaying the inevitable. He wasn’t keen on confrontations, but the British government couldn’t be allowed to get away with what they’d tried to do; her Majesty needed to be informed, because it was a safe bet that she’d been… ‘shielded’ from what was happening.

Ianto thought hard. First step, fill Her Royal Highness in on events so she could decide on a course of action, then help her deal with the guilty parties. Half on UNIT seemed to have been complicit. Oh, and he should probably tell his sister he wasn’t as dead as everyone had thought. He pulled a sour face as if he’d just bitten into a lemon; that wasn’t going to be fun. Still, it had to be done.

With a heavy sigh, he got to his feet, closed the TARDIS door and made his way to the central console.

“You are not happy; what is troubling you?”

“Responsibilities. There are things I would really rather not have to do, but I don’t think I have a choice; some rather pressing matters need to be taken care of. I know that I could travel the universe for a few hundred years before dealing with them, but they’d always be in the back of my mind, waiting. Best get them out of the way first.” Climbing the nearest set of steps, Ianto rested his hand on the console. It was warm beneath his fingers and he stroked it absently. “Well, no sense dilly dallying. Would you be so kind as to set course for London, earth, let’s see, guess we’d better err on the side of safety; say 20th September 2009. Just outside Buckingham Palace please. I need to visit the Queen.”

“I regret I am unable to carry out your request, Ianto.” The TARDIS sounded dejected, as if she were ashamed at failing him.

“Why?” he asked, genuinely puzzled. “I couldn’t have been anywhere near there on that date; I was dead. Would that still count as crossing my own timeline?”

“Crossing timelines does not appear to be the problem; however the two explosions that occurred right on top of the Rift seem to have created a time/space bubble I am unable to penetrate. I can go to the time you request, and orbit the planet at a distance of four hundred thousand kilometres…”

“That’s beyond the moon!” 

“It is. Alternatively, I can touch down on the planet’s surface at any point up to forty seven years before the first explosion, the one that sent me through the Rift, or from approximately one hundred and thirteen years after the second explosion.”

“The one that sent _me_ through the Rift before closing it behind me.”

“Precisely.”

“Oh.” Ianto sat down on the grating. He felt a bit ashamed to find he was relieved he couldn’t do what he’d been planning. Then a thought struck him. “Rhi and the kids are never going to know I’m alive, are they? I’ll never see or speak to them again.” His heart ached at the thought.

“I am sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” He smiled sadly. “Maybe it’s better this way; they can grieve and move on.” Another thought crossed his mind. “I guess this means there’s no way of intercepting Jack before he leaves earth either. He probably left soon after the Rift closed; no reason to stay.” Ianto shoved one hand through his hair, making it stick up. “Well, that’s bollixed up my plans!” He sat silently for a few minutes, thinking hard. “Okay, never mind. We can’t land on earth, but we can orbit. Let’s do that. I always wanted to see the earth from space. We can take some snapshots of home if nothing else, maybe check that the 456 really were destroyed while we’re at it. Better to be safe than sorry.”

“That we can do,” the TARDIS replied, sounding happier.

“Do I need to do anything?”

“It is not really necessary, I can set the coordinates myself, but if you would be so kind as to disengage the parking brake…” A light started flashing on the console alongside a lever that really did look like a car handbrake. Ianto grinned and did as he was asked.

“I bet you could do that by yourself too if you wanted to.”

“I can internally disconnect the brake, but it is more satisfying to have it operated manually. I will teach you some of the other controls as we travel. We should arrive at our destination in one hour, seventeen minutes and forty three seconds.”

“I do admire good timekeeping.”

“I know,” the voice in his head responded pertly, making him laugh out loud. Apparently his TARDIS had a cheeky side to her personality. He was going to enjoy getting to know her better.

Jack had told Ianto about his travels with the Doctor, how it was always a bumpy ride and you had to hold on tight. This wasn’t at all like Jack’s descriptions. He was aware of tilting to one side or the other at intervals, as if they were changing direction in flight, but had no difficulty maintaining his balance. As they travelled through the vortex, he walked around the console learning the functions of the various buttons, levers, dials, switches and other weird contrivances. It was fortunate he had such a good memory, otherwise he would have quickly become confused; there was a lot to learn. Then again, it seemed he would have plenty of time to learn anything he wanted to. There were some distinct advantages to being probably immortal to balance out the downside of outliving everyone. Well, everyone except Jack. Almost everything had a bright side if you looked for it hard enough.

Exactly one hour, seventeen minutes and forty three seconds later, the TARDIS settled into orbit four hundred thousand kilometres from earth. Ianto pulled up the view on one of the console screens. There was the earth, a vividly blue, green and white ball floating in the blackness of space, and there was the moon, orbiting a little closer to earth than they were. Calling the sight beautiful really was an understatement. After watching the earth slowly rotating below them for a while and taking plenty of pictures so he would never forget where he came from, Ianto started to form a new plan of action.

“Are we able to assume a geostationary orbit over London?”

“We are.” A brief pause and Ianto watched on the viewscreen as the TARDIS adjusted their position in relation to the earth. “Geostationary orbit achieved.”

“Thank you. Now, can you pick up broadcasts from the surface, radio waves, video footage, stuff like that?”

“There are a great many signals emanating from the earth at all times.”

“That figures. Can you isolate specific signals?”

“Of course.”

“Okay, what I’m looking for is anything to do with either the 456 or children chanting in unison, and anything that mentions Torchwood. We’ll need to travel back in time to when the 456 first arrived and record their transmissions to earth as well as everything that fits my search parameters, then return to this point in time. After that we’re going to send the recordings to the Queen. They’ll provide Her Majesty with all the evidence she needs to deal with those responsible for almost handing earth’s children over to a bunch of alien drug addicts. What d’you think?’”

The TARDIS considered for a moment.

“Yes, I believe that will work.”

OoOoOoO

Ianto had expected that they’d have to stay in position recording the transmissions for the full five days, but the TARDIS had other ideas, simply slowing down time inside her walls so that while five days passed for the earth and its environs, only five hours passed for them. The TARDIS converted the incoming audio signals into text, displaying each in a separate window on a bank of touch screens on the console. Ianto spent his time sorting through them, discarding anything irrelevant and putting the rest into order along with all relevant video footage. They even intercepted the feed from the special contact lenses Lois was wearing and tapped into the CCTV system inside Thames House. Ianto turned away when he and Jack confronted the 456 though, unable to face watching his own death. Why had he let Jack talk him into such an idiotic act? They’d both been exhausted at the time, tired of running and hiding, desperate to make a stand. If they’d been thinking clearly they wouldn’t have been so careless; they both knew better. He sighed wearily.

“What’s done is done, there’s no going back. Knowing what I do now, I wouldn’t want to change it anyway. Everything that happened that day led to me being where I am now, and I think I’m right where I’m meant to be.”

The events of the day after he died broke his heart. Johnson and that Dekker person had to pay for backing Jack into a corner the way they had, leaving only one soul-destroying course of action open to him. Small wonder Jack had been so broken; sacrificing any child would have been bad enough, but his own grandson… Ianto had never felt so helpless. Wiping fruitlessly at the tears that ran down his cheeks, he tipped his head back to look up at the vaulted ceiling. 

“Is there nothing we can do? He’s just a child!”

“No, there is not. I am sorry, Ianto.”

“At least tell me it worked, that he didn’t die for nothing.”

“It worked. See?” 

The screen in front of him filled with a view of the ugly, blocky vessel that was the 456’s mother ship. Ianto watched as the psychic emanations of every child on earth, funnelled through the mind of one young boy, caused the ship to ripple and tear itself apart, the fragments disintegrating to nothingness.

“Do me a favour; don’t absorb any of that debris. I don’t like to think of that being used in any part of you. It’s… contaminated.”

“I agree. There is something unhealthy about it. We are shielded.”

“Good to know.”

OoOoOoO

With all the transmissions and video footage collated, Ianto composed his own message to the Queen, using his official Torchwood identification number and pass-code, then the TARDIS streamed the data to Her Majesty’s own personal computer network, set up several years ago by Toshiko. Ianto had used the network many times to send reports through to the woman who held ultimate authority over Torchwood.

Two hours later, a video link was requested and accepted. 

“Mr Jones, I am pleased to see you. I was given to understand that you had perished in the unrest of the past few days.”

“Ah, well yes Ma’am, it seems I did, but something happened to reverse my death. Sort of. I’m honestly not at all sure I understand it myself. I apologise for not visiting in person, my movements are somewhat restricted; I’m unable to return to earth.”

“It saddens me to hear that, I very much enjoyed your briefings, I could have used your assistance to deal with this unpleasantness you have brought to my attention.”

“I’m sorry. I’d be there if I could, Ma’am.”

“I know. Are you well?”

“Very well, thank you Ma’am. This will probably be the last time I’m able to contact you though.”

“It seems there is good and bad in all things today.” The Queen smiled sadly. “Is Captain Harkness with you?”

“No, Ma’am. I don’t know where he is though I believe he’s still somewhere on earth at present. I doubt he’ll stay for long. The events of the last few days have affected him deeply.”

“Then who will police the Rift in his absence?”

“There won’t be any need in a few more months. In the meantime, I’d suggest a small team of trusted personnel might be put in place, just to keep an eye on things. Martha Jones of UNIT would be a good choice to lead whomever you select. Perhaps Mickey Smith, one of the Doctor’s former companions, and Andy Davidson of the Cardiff constabulary might assist her.”

“I will take your recommendations into account. Now, it seems I have rather a lot of work to do, Mr Jones. Stay safe, and God be with you; and if by chance you pass this way again, it would please me greatly to receive word from you.”

“I’ll try, Your Majesty. God be with you too. And if I might make another suggestion, perhaps Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart could be of assistance to you.”

“I believe you may be correct. I will contact him shortly.” Dropping her proper manners for a moment, Queen Elizabeth leant towards the screen. “Take care of yourself, Ianto. It has been a pleasure knowing you. I believe I am going to miss both you and that scoundrel of a Captain. You have both brought a great deal of colour into my life. Give Jack my kindest regards when you find him, as I feel sure you will. Fare well, young man, and don’t forget us.”

“I could never forget. Thank you, Elizabeth, for everything. And good luck, I think you’ll need it. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye, Ianto.”

With that, the TARDIS cut the connection and the view-screen faded to darkness. Ianto wasn’t particularly surprised to find that there were tears on his face again and a lump in his throat. Saying farewell to a great lady who had become somewhat of a friend in recent years was a bittersweet moment in a day that was proving to be full of contrasting emotions, from dizzying joys to heartbreaking sorrows. She was one of the many people on the planet of his birth he was going to miss a great deal. He wiped the tears away with his handkerchief.

“Well, that’s that then, nothing more we can do here.” He looked thoughtfully at the image of earth on one of the view-screens and sighed. “You know what I could do with right now? Comfort food. Chinese takeaway would be good.” He thought for a minute then snapped his fingers. “Bayswater, London, summer of 1960 should do, don’t want to get chilly. The Lotus House Chinese Restaurant opened there in ’58, if memory serves. We’ll pop there, I’ll pick up dinner, then decide where to head next.” He patted his pockets. “Oh, I don’t have any money…”

“One moment.” Something on the TARDIS console started whirring and a moment later, a hatch opened. “British pre-decimal currency, I believe.”

Ianto checked it; one five pound, two one pound and two ten bob notes, three half crowns, several shillings, and an assortment of small change, all dated before 1960. 

“Very nice.”

“Thank you. We have arrived. I believe a Police Public Call Box is a suitable camouflage in this time period.”

“Like mother, like daughter,” Ianto chuckled. “Excellent choice. Will you be alright on your own for an hour or two?”

“Certainly. We are linked, we can easily contact each other if it becomes necessary.”

“Good point, I keep forgetting that you’re in my head. I’d better be careful not to talk to you aloud once I step outside; might get some funny looks.” He straightened his tie, smoothed his hair and pocketed the money. “Right, dinner. I fancy something with lots of sweet and sour sauce, I think.” 

Opening the door, Ianto stepped out into the London of 1960 and set off to find the restaurant that had become Britain’s first Chinese takeaway.


	6. In Memories And Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto is haunted by thoughts, dreams, memories, and maybe even visions of the people he’s loved and lost and of those he’s had to leave behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains hints of two previous fics I’ve written for other challenges, my drabble ‘The Library of Lives’ (Chapter 300 of The Torchwood Drabble Files) and the ficlet ‘All Things To All Men’. It’s not at all necessary to read them in order to understand this chapter, but they feel like they should be a part of this ‘Verse.
> 
> Written for Challenge #99: Amnesty, using Challenge #98: Haunted at fan_flashworks.

Dinner was excellent, and Ianto set out to return to his TARDIS feeling quite cheerful. He’d done everything he could with regard to the 456 so now, with his responsibility discharged, he could finally get on with his new life, embarking on the greatest challenge he’d ever faced; finding Jack. His lover was never far from his thoughts, haunting him in a thousand memories of all the good and bad times they’d shared. Right now, Ianto didn’t have a clue as to how he could even begin to accomplish the task of finding him; he was just one man lost somewhere in the vast universe. It would be like looking for one particular needle in a huge pile of needles, or one grain of sand in a desert. 

“First things first though,” he told his TARDIS with a thought as he strolled back along London’s busy streets to where he’d left her, taking in the sights and sounds of the early Sixties as he went. “I promised you an asteroid, and I believe there are plenty in the asteroid belt around earth. We ought to be able to remove one or two without anyone noticing they’re missing. Are there any that could cause problems for earth within the next few hundred years?”

“One moment. Calculating orbits of all asteroids and extrapolating likely changes within the next 500 years.” 

“No rush, take your time. It’s a very nice day so I might do a spot of shopping while I’m here. Just spotted a watch seller’s shop across the street, think I’ll take a look, see if they have any pocket watches.” Ianto checked for traffic before ambling across the street. There were far fewer cars than he was used to; it was strange to think that here he was, walking the earth more that twenty years before he would be born. Somewhere in Wales, his parents were young children who had yet to even meet. He tried hard not to think of such things; time travel was rather disorienting.

Reaching the shop and looking through the windows, he saw they held an array of high quality timepieces, from wristwatches for both ladies and gents, to small clocks of all kinds. To Ianto’s delight, there was a whole section of the display devoted to an assortment of very elegant pocket watches. 

“I wish you could see these,” he told the TARDIS. “I know you’d appreciate the workmanship as much as I do.”

“It is not necessary for me to see, I have no doubt you will make a wise choice; you have excellent taste.”

“Well, you would say that since you modelled yourself on images taken from my mind,” Ianto thought, amused.

“Nevertheless, I found the images in your mind very pleasing, aesthetically speaking.”

Ianto was smiling at his TARDIS’s comments as he pushed open the door and entered the small shop. As he closed the door behind him, an elderly man seated at a worktable behind the counter looked up from clock he was repairing.

“I’ll be with you in just a minute, sir. If you’d like to browse while you’re waiting?”

“Take your time, I’m not in any hurry,” Ianto reassured him, making his way over to a display cabinet containing pocket watches and studying the contents carefully.

A few minutes later, the grey haired watch repairer limped over to Ianto, smiling in approval.

“It’s a pleasure to find a gentleman such as yourself is still interested in pocket watches. They seem to be going out of fashion these days. Such a shame.” 

“Indeed it is,” Ianto agreed. “Wristwatches man be convenient, but they lack the elegance of a pocket watch somehow.”

“Pocket watches have a timeless quality, if you’ll pardon the pun. While I repair and sell all kinds of clocks and watches, I must admit my greatest fondness lies with vintage and antique timepieces such as these. Sadly, most of the pocket watches I have for sale these days have been traded in by people wishing to purchase wristwatches. I fear a day will come when they will be completely obsolete.”

“That day won’t come for many years yet, I’m sure,” Ianto stated firmly. “Fashions come and go, but true quality will never go out of style.”

He spent a happy hour discussing with the old man the respective merits of the various pocket watches on display before finally choosing an elegant silver half-hunter, with a crystal window set in the front and an intricate design of a tree engraved on the back. Ianto fancied it could represent the Tree of Life, which felt appropriate under the circumstances. A silver watch chain and a fob made from Tektite completed his purchase and he stepped from the shop, watch and chain in place, whistling jauntily.

“I hope you are aware,” an amused voice in his head commented, “that the tune you are whistling will not be written for another forty seven years.”

Ianto just about managed to disguise his snort of laughter as a cough.

“How are the calculations coming?” he asked in his mind.

“Completed almost an hour ago. I did not wish to interrupt your conversation since, as you said, there is no rush.”

“Find anything?”

“There are two asteroids whose orbits are gradually deteriorating. Neither is excessively large but they will provide an ample supply of raw materials that should prove more than sufficient for our current needs.”

“That’s good news. Plot a course for the closest of the two, I’m just round the corner.”

Less than five minutes later, Ianto stepped aboard his TARDIS. Striding across the polished floor, he bounded up the nearest steps to rest his hand on the warm console, which was thrumming beneath his fingers as the TARDIS powered up her engine.

“Ready to go?” It was a relief to speak to her out loud again.

“Yes. If you would disengage the parking brake, we will be on our way.”

Ianto did as asked, then leant back against the rail. “How long will it take to get there?”

“Approximately one minute and seventeen seconds.” The Time Rotor rose and fell, Ianto felt the floor beneath his feet shift, and shortly afterwards felt another subtle shift as they settled onto the first of their chosen asteroids. 

“We have arrived,” the TARDIS informed him in a satisfied tone. “One point seven four seconds ahead of my predicted time.”

“I’m impressed!” Ianto set the brake again.

“I thought you would be.” She sounded smug.

“So, how long does it take to disintegrate a whole asteroid?” Ianto asked curiously.

“It will take several hours to break it down into particles small enough to be easily absorbed.”

Feeling tired as the events of the day started to catch up with him, Ianto stretched and yawned.

“That’s good. Right, if you don’t mind, I’ll leave you to get on with disintegrating your asteroid. I’m going to turn in. Enjoy!”

“Turn into what?” The TARDIS sounded mildly puzzled and Ianto laughed.

“I mean I’m going to bed. It’s been a long day, or however long it’s been. I may be immortal, but apparently I still need to sleep. Wake me if you need me for anything.”

“Very well. Good night, Ianto. Pleasant dreams.”

“That would be nice. Usually they’re not particularly pleasant,” he said with a sigh as her made his way out of the control room towards the stairway leading to the lower levels. “After everything that’s happened recently, with me dying, coming back in the House of the Dead, then getting blown up, thrown into the void and resurrected again, pleasant dreams don’t seen very likely. Ah well, a few nightmares would be a small price to pay for everything I’ve gained.” He ran his hand along the wall as he walked wearily down the stairs and along the lower hallway, bypassing the turning that led to the replica of his old flat and instead stepping into the first of the guest rooms. 

To his surprise, he found it had been re-modelled in his absence. The carpet was now a deep burgundy and the walls the colour of buttermilk. A big ebony framed double bed was set against the rear wall of the room, its ornate headboard carved in the shape of a dragon with wings protectively outstretched. The sheets and pillowcases matched the carpet while the bedspread was a patchwork of slate blue, cream and burgundy. It looked very welcoming.

The rest of the furniture was made of the same wood as the bed; two matching bedside cabinets, a big dresser with wide drawers, a solid looking desk and chair, bookshelves, and an armchair upholstered in the same fabric as the bedspread. There was even a matching footstool.

Checking the drawers, Ianto discovered they contained fresh underwear, socks and pyjamas. Slowly he stripped out of his suit, hanging it in the walk-in closet, which was otherwise empty waiting for him to add other clothes chosen from the main wardrobe. Slipping into his colour coordinated slate blue pyjamas, he brushed his teeth in the en suite bathroom, climbed into bed and turned out the bedside lamp, quickly falling asleep.

 

OoOoOoO

 

The dreams began almost immediately. Ianto was walking through the old Torchwood Three Hub; everything about it was just as it used to be, the sights, sounds and scents so familiar they would have brought a lump to his throat had he not been dreaming. Tosh was at her workstation, busily tapping away at her keyboard, Owen was in the autopsy bay, clattering about and swearing inventively. Overhead, Myfanwy circled gracefully on the Hub’s ever-present thermals, her long, leathery wings flapping lazily. Ianto paused to watch her, smiling; she was magnificent.

Making his way to the little kitchen area, he brewed coffee, lovingly stroking the old coffee machine that no one else could ever work. He took Tosh her drink first, setting it by her elbow. She glanced up briefly with a smile and a word of thanks before returning her attention to her screens. Gwen wasn’t in yet, so he set his tray on her workstation and carried Owen’s mug into the medic’s domain.

“About time, Teaboy, what kept you?” Owen took a swig of coffee. “Ahhh, that hits the spot! You got any more scalpels stashed away? I’ve run out.”

Ianto rolled his eyes. “You wouldn’t run out so often if you didn’t keep throwing them at the dartboard.”

“I’ll get a bull’s-eye one of these days, just you wait and see!”

“In your dreams. I’ll fetch a box from storage when everyone’s got their coffee. Try not to waste so many, they don’t grow on trees you know.”

Owen chuckled. “That would be a sight worth seein’! Thanks, mate.” He dropped into a chair, gulping his coffee as Ianto made his way back up the steps into the main Hub.

Leaving Gwen’s mug on her desk, Ianto picked up his tray and headed for Jack’s office, where he found the leader of Torchwood Three leaning back in his chair, feet up on the desk. Jack was on the phone to UNIT, but he smiled delightedly and waved Ianto over. Setting his and Jack’s mugs on coasters, Ianto propped the tray against Jack’s desk, pulled up a chair and sat down. Jack reached for his coffee and inhaled the aroma, an expression of sheer bliss on his face. Sipping slowly to savour the brew, he turned his attention back to his phone call.

“No, General, you seem to be missing the point…”

Ianto tuned out Jack’s words and just watched his lover, the expression of annoyance on his face vanishing briefly every time he took a sip of coffee, only to reappear a moment later due to something the General said to him. Finally, Jack slammed the receiver back in its cradle and took a long drink from his mug.

“Ahhhh, perfection! There’s nothing better than your coffee for washing away the bad taste left behind from talking to UNIT’s top brass.” He smiled warmly at Ianto. “So, I was thinking, dinner tonight? We could go to that little Italian place.”

“Sounds good. Should I book a table?”

“No need, I can do it.” Jack reached for the phone. “Seven thirty alright?” 

 

OoOoOoO

 

The scene changed abruptly, as tends to happen in dreams, and Ianto found himself lying with Jack in the small camp bed hidden away beneath Jack’s office. Both of them were naked, sweaty and breathing hard. He felt a bit peeved at having skipped the events that had led up to that moment, but then his perspective changed and it was as though he were standing by the ladder that led up to Jack’s office, watching himself and Jack in the bed as they settled down to sleep. 

Time skipped forwards again and Ianto could see that his other self was dreaming. He watched himself wake, smiling, and turn towards Jack, settling again with one arm draped over the other man’s waist. Must have been a good dream for once.

“I don’t know how, but something tells me we’ll be together for a long time. I just hope you don’t get tired of having me around,” the other Ianto whispered.

Oh, _that_ dream; the one with the library and everyone’s lives set out in books, his and Jack’s lives shelved side by side in countless volumes. He remembered _that_ dream very well indeed. Smiling, he turned away from the scene and found himself in the bedroom of his flat, watching himself and Jack sprawled across the bed, once again basking in the afterglow.

“So,” his other self said, “this Doctor of yours, tell me about him?”

Ah, now that was a night he remembered even more clearly. He felt as if he could almost recite the conversation his earlier self was having with Jack word for word, but still he watched the scene play out right to the end as Jack described the Doctor’s many qualities and the other Ianto told him he could be describing himself.

“Trust me; I’ve seen the future, you won’t be facing it alone.”

Perhaps the dream really had been a premonition. Maybe the Library of Lives existed somewhere, if not in this universe then in another. All that he had to do to make it come true was to find Jack, somewhere out there among the stars… As images of swirling starfields and a myriad distant planets filled his head, Ianto rolled over, burrowing under the covers and sinking deeper into sleep.

 

OoOoOoO

 

For the rest of the night, Ianto’s dreams were haunted by all the people he’d loved and lost. He saw Lisa as she’d been before Canary Wharf, a vibrant, lovely young woman with a wicked sense of humour, and he saw what she had become. How had he missed seeing the signs that seemed so clear now? By the time they’d arrived in Cardiff, all that had been left of her had been a hollow shell and some stolen memories.

He sat in Rhi’s lounge sipping tea and telling her how sorry he was that he couldn’t visit in person. He hated the thought that he would miss seeing the kids grow up, but he told her of the bank account he’d set up in her name that would provide for all of her family now that he was gone.

Sitting on an alien beach of green sand, pink sea lapping at their toes, he told Mica and David not to be sad, that he was fine and travelling the stars in a spaceship that looked like a tree from the outside. He pointed to a majestic oak at the edge of the beach, explaining that his ship was so clever she could look like anything she chose. In their beds on earth in 2009, Mica and David smiled in their sleep, forgetting their sorrow as in their dreams they explored their uncle’s amazing spaceship.

Tosh walked beside him through Cardiff as they fetched lunch for the rest of the team, enjoying a rare sunny spring day. They talked about everything and nothing, simply enjoying their time together. A change of scene found him sitting in a pub with Owen, grumbling about work and their wanker of a boss, who also happened to be Ianto’s lover and had taken off for parts unknown without so much as a goodbye. A blink of his eyes and it was Rhys sitting opposite him as they argued about rugby and drank beer, while Gwen regaled Jack with tales of what she and her husband had got up to on their recent holiday.

Jack. Even in his sleep, seeing the man he loved brought tears to Ianto’s eyes. He saw his lover’s grief as he stood at a graveside, watched as the broken man travelled the earth trying to escape the memories of what he’d done and all he’d lost. He relived those moments with Jack in the House of the Dead when he remembered that he’d died, yet discovered he was somehow alive again. With Jack’s “I love you” still ringing in his ears, he witnessed the explosion that had destroyed the most haunted pub in Wales and watched as his Captain walked away, shoulders bowed by a burden no man should ever have to carry.

Scene after scene passed through Ianto’s mind; were they memories, dreams, visions, or all three?

Standing in the shadow of a massive tree, Ianto observed Jack standing alone on a hilltop outside Cardiff, Rhys and a heavily pregnant Gwen struggling up the slope to join him. They handed Jack his Vortex Manipulator, goodbyes were said and then Jack was gone, transported to some unknown ship high above earth’s atmosphere. In a corner of Ianto’s sleeping mind, he wondered if it would be possible to locate the ship, get onboard and find Jack. But before the idea could properly form, his dream self was in another place, a bar on a distant space station, watching as Jack tried to summon up that old thousand watt grim and flirt with some guy in uniform. The flirting didn’t last long; Jack’s heart clearly wasn’t in it and after a few minutes he left, apologising to the stranger and walking away alone. Ianto ached to hold the man he loved, comfort him and tell him they’d be together again soon, forever. He couldn’t move though, couldn’t interfere; he felt like a ghost, unable to affect the world around him. All he could do was watch, blinking away tears and vowing that he would search the universe from end to end if that was what it would take to be reunited with his lover.

Thus the ‘night’ passed as the TARDIS stood on a small asteroid high above earth, picking it apart and absorbing its molecules, using some to gradually grow areas that were not yet completed and storing the rest for later. It was a task that required little thought or effort, so the TARDIS ‘slept’ too, powering down all non-essential systems. If she picked up a scene or two from Ianto’s dreams, well, surely that was only to be expected since their minds were linked.

And on the planet far below, forty-nine years in the future, Jack Harkness also slept. In his dreams, he saw the grandson he’d been forced to sacrifice, the daughter who hated him and the man he’d loved, who’d been taken from him so cruelly. Waking with his face wet with tears, he gathered his few possessions and set out once more to travel the world. He was trying to escape from the memories that haunted him even as he clung to them, willing himself to never forget. He’d made a promise to remember and he intended to keep it for as long as he lived, even though remembering broke his heart. His loved ones deserved no less.

 

TBC in Chapter 7


	7. Solitary Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto is starting to realise just how alone and isolated he’s become.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written fr Challenge #99: Amnesty, using Challenge #30: Solitary at fan_flashworks. 
> 
> **Spoilers:** CoE, House of the Dead.
> 
> Sorry it's taken so long to put up a new chapter.

Despite his sleep being plagued by constant dreams, Ianto awoke a full eight hours later feeling surprisingly refreshed and ready to face whatever the new day held. He showered and dressed, visited the wardrobe to select more clothes for his personal closet, and discovered on his return to the residential level that a fully equipped laundry room had been added. 

“Very nice,” he commented approvingly.

“The dry-cleaning unit is fully automated. Simply hang the clothing to be cleaned within and close the door. When the cleaning process is complete, the door will open.”

“Excellent! From Jack’s stories of his travels with the Doctor, getting grubby is an occupational hazard. Never know what you’ll run across on other planets.”

“I am curious to see what we will encounter on other worlds, I have yet to visit any,” the TARDIS told him as he settled down to breakfast in the kitchen. Since he was immortal and didn’t have to worry too much about cholesterol levels, he’d cooked himself a full fried breakfast and tried a new blend of coffee beans. The food was good, but eating alone would have been a bit depressing if not for the company of his TARDIS.

“We’ll both find out before too long, but I have a couple of tasks to complete first. I need to return to earth again, Cardiff this time. I had a dream last night about an account I set up for my sister and her family; after I joined Torchwood, I wanted to make sure they would be provided for after I died.” He paused with his fork halfway to his mouth, frowning.

“What is wrong?”

“Nothing really, it’s just weird to talk about my death.” He shook himself and went on eating. “Anyway, it got me thinking. I should write letters to my sister, niece and nephew. Maybe one to Gwen and Rhys too, just in case they see Jack again before I find him. I can leave them with the bank to be posted on a particular day. No, better yet, I’ll get a safety deposit box, put the letters in there and arrange for my sister to be informed six months after my death.”

“Why wait six months?”

“I think I need to protect the timeline. Jack leaves earth six months after my death, just after the House of the Dead is destroyed. He sees Gwen and Rhys just before he leaves and if Gwen gets her letter too soon, she’ll tell Jack and then he might not leave. Even if I don’t leave a letter for Gwen, there’s a good chance she’ll keep in touch with Rhi and might find out I’m still alive, or alive again…” Ianto put his head in his hands. “Timelines,” he groaned. “It’s all so complicated I feel like I’m tying my brain in knots!”

“How strange. However, I do not believe that is physically possible, so you need not concern yourself. I am sure the feeling will soon pass. Meanwhile, there are stationery supplies in your desk. You could write your letters while I finish disintegrating this asteroid. Then I will set a course for Cardiff. Did you have any specific date in mind?”

“Sometime in spring would be nice. I’ve always liked Cardiff in springtime. Perhaps sometime in April on a weekday so I can be sure the banks are open. I’ll need some more money, if that’s okay? Ten pounds should be fine; I still have some money left from yesterday. A five pound note and five ones, used condition please. I’ll have to pay for the safety deposit box.”

“It will be waiting for you in the console room when you are ready.”

“Thank you.” Ianto rinsed his dishes, put them in the dishwasher, switched it on and made his way back to his room.

 

OoOoO

 

As his TARDIS has said, he found everything he needed to write his letters in his desk drawers, including a handsome fountain pen, ink and a blotter. He took his time, writing rough drafts in pencil in a notepad first, copying them onto the high quality paper once he was sure of what he wanted to say to each person. He wrote separate letters to Rhi, Mica and David, and a joint one to Gwen and Rhys. 

Writing to his family and friends brought home to him just how alone he was, and how far from everyone he’d ever known. Here he was, in a TARDIS, high above earth and he’d never see any of these people ever again. More than ever, he appreciated the constant, reassuring presence of his TARDIS in his mind, but it wasn’t the same as actual, physical human company. With a heavy heart, he signed his name to the letters, sealed them each in a separate envelope and wrote the names of the recipients on the fronts. He toyed with the idea of writing one to Jack, just in case he came back to earth at some point, but decided against it. What he needed to say to Jack was simply too hard to put into words on a page. 

One final letter had to be written, with instructions to post the enclosed note, written to Rhi, on a specific date: one week after the destruction of the House of the Dead. He would put the key to the safety deposit box in the envelope for Rhi before sealing it. The note simply told her to go to the bank and retrieve the contents of the box; that should be all that was necessary. 

By the time everything was finished, his TARDIS was announcing their arrival in Cardiff, Wednesday, April 27th, 1960, at 9 o’clock in the morning. Gathering everything together and putting it all in a briefcase, Ianto made his way up to the console room where he collected the money she’d prepared for him. There was more than he’d asked for, and he found himself smiling as she explained that she thought he might perhaps wish to add a few small gifts to the safety deposit box. Perhaps he could get some jewellery that would increase in value over time. Ianto agreed; it sounded like an excellent idea.

Leaving his TARDIS, who had disguised herself as a large tree, Ianto stepped out into Bute Park. It was a typical Welsh spring morning, daffodils bright in the flowerbeds and a persistent drizzly rain falling. Ianto put up his umbrella and strode towards the main business district of the city. Cardiff had changed a lot by his own time, but not so much that he couldn’t find his way around well enough. He made small purchases in a few jewellers’ shops, then continued on his way to his chosen bank; one he knew would still be in the same place in 2009. 

The bank’s staff proved extremely helpful, assisting him with the long-term rental of a safety deposit box, which he paid for in advance. He filled in the paperwork using a fake birth certificate provided by his TARDIS, along with other fake official paperwork, explaining that he was going abroad to work for some time but wanted to make sure his valuables and important documents remained safe while he was away. After locking his letters and purchases in the box, he placed one of the keys in the envelope with the note to be sent to Rhi in approximately 50 years’ time, put that note and a covering note in a second envelope, and entrusted it to the bank’s manager, to be opened on the date that he’d written on the front.

“I’ll see that it gets done, Mr. Jones, don’t you worry.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hargreaves. Good day.”

It was only when Ianto was leaving the bank that a thought struck him; he was in Cardiff, and somewhere under what would one day be the Roald Dahl Plass, was an earlier version of Jack Harkness, hard at work for the Torchwood of the time. The knowledge struck him like a physical blow. Jack; so near and yet so far. He ached to see the man, but it wouldn’t be _his_ Jack, just a man that looked identical. Head bowed, he strode purposefully back the way he’d come. He shouldn’t have come here, it was too risky and a chance encounter with the man his Jack had once been would be too painful to bear; he needed to leave as soon as possible, before temptation could overrule common sense.

It was with a sigh of relief that Ianto stepped through the door of his TARDIS, closing it behind him and leaning against it. Every step of the way back, he’d been both hoping and dreading that he might catch a glimpse of that familiar coat, but it hadn’t happened. He wasn’t sure whether he felt relieved or disappointed. Pushing away from the door, he made his way over to the console room’s small coffee station and brewed himself a fortifying mug of his favourite beverage. Sipping slowly, he settled into one of the comfortable chairs.

“Did you disintegrate both of those asteroids?”

“I did. We are now well stocked with enough raw materials to last for some time, although I shall continue to collect any available particles I encounter.”

“You’re not disintegrating earth, are you?”

“Certainly not!” The TARDIS sounded quite indignant.

“Just checking. Out of interest, what _does_ constitute ‘available particles’?”

“Dust and debris, any airborne particles such as pollen, the rain that has fallen on my leaves; my current form is quite efficient at absorbing such things.”

“I like it, you make a lovely tree.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s time we were on our way though. There’s just one more stop I want to make before we leave earth.”

“Where is it that you wish to go?”

“The future. There’s a cemetery not far from here, it’s where I was buried. Or _will_ be buried, to be more precise. I want to visit my grave.”

“Very well. How far into the future do you wish to travel?”

“I don’t know.” Ianto thought for a minute. “How about five hundred years?”

“Five hundred years from this time or from the moment that you fell through the Rift?”

“It doesn’t really matter. Why don’t you choose?”

“As you wish.” After a moment’s pause, the TARDIS spoke again. “Coordinates set.”

Mug in hand, Ianto made his way to the console and released the parking brake. “Away we go then!”

 

OoOoO

 

The cemetery seemed mostly abandoned, overgrown with weeds, but it remained as a green oasis among the tall buildings of the city. Cardiff had grown into a city of skyscrapers, yet this plot of land had somehow escaped development.

It took Ianto some time to find the correct grave, but he didn’t mind. The sun was warm, there were birds singing in the bushes and trees, and the atmosphere of the place was soothing. He stared at his headstone, knowing that beneath his feet, buried in a casket, was his original body, the one that had died from a virus released by the 456. The body he wore now was an exact replica, recreated by Syriath. It was a bizarre thought; he was dead and buried, yet standing here alive, a living paradox.

But everyone he’d ever known, every life he’d ever touched, was long gone. Once again, he was the sole survivor. Well, aside from Jack anyway. For the first time, he could really appreciate how Jack must feel, living forever and watching everyone he ever knew die while he himself was fated to continue living for eternity. 

He ran his fingertips lightly over the inscription on his headstone. 

_Ianto Jones_

_Beloved brother and uncle_

Once upon a time, he’d had a family who loved him, but he hadn’t spent enough time with them. It was one of his biggest regrets. The worst part was that now he had eternity spread out before him, all the time in the universe, but his family were far beyond his reach. He could never make up to them for all the times he hadn’t been there, for all the family celebrations he’d missed. 

“Can’t turn back the clock; all I can do is move forward and try not to make the same mistakes.”

For the rest of the day, he sat by his grave, a solitary figure grieving for his long lost family, his long-dead friends, and committing to memory everything he could about the time he’d spent with them. He wanted to make sure he’d never forget a single moment. His memories were all he had left of them now; they’d have to be enough.

Finally, as dusk settled around him, he rose to his feet and made his lonely way back to where his TARDIS waited for him, disguised now as a crumbling stone mausoleum.

A long road stretched out ahead of him, and where it would lead he couldn’t begin to guess; the vastness of the universe awaited him. But somewhere out there, on some as yet unknown, distant world, was Jack and someday, if fate was on his side, Ianto would find him. Then neither of them would ever have to be alone again.

 

Chapter 8


	8. Making Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Up until now, Ianto has known exactly what needed doing, but now, as he embarks on his search for Jack, he has to start making more difficult choices.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Challenge #100: Choices at fan_flashworks.

Ianto sank into one of the console room’s comfortable chairs, once again cradling a steaming mug of coffee in his hands. The aroma was usually enough to soothe him, but it didn’t seem to be working this time. For the first time since he’d resurrected, he was at a loss as to what to do next.

When he’d found himself not only alive again but also in possession of a box that could travel in time and space, he’d had very definite ideas of the things he needed to take care of: Find clothes, explore his new environment, deal with the aftermath of the 456, let his friends and family know he was alive, visit his grave… As far as was possible, he’d accomplished all that, but there was still one item remaining on his mental list: Find Jack. 

How he was going to accomplish that was no clearer now than it had been when he’d first found himself aboard his TARDIS. In theory, it should be easy; Jack was unique, surely locating a fixed point couldn’t be that hard? But the universe was vast and there was so much in it, and his TARDIS didn’t know exactly what she was looking for. How could he describe something to her that he’d never felt and had no words for? Even giving her access to his memories of Jack wouldn’t help. To Ianto’s senses, Jack had always been just like any other human except for the enticing scent of his 51st century pheromones. Telling the TARDIS that the man they were looking for smelled really good was unlikely to be helpful. 

He sat up straight suddenly, as something occurred to him. Back before the explosion that had hurled her into the Rift, when she’d been just a small piece of coral nurtured beneath a heat lamp, the TARDIS had spent a great deal of time in Jack’s presence, sitting on the desk in his office. Maybe she could remember enough to give her an idea of what to search for! 

He tried asking her about that time, but it didn’t help; she’d been hardly more than an embryo then and what memories she had were vague and formless. He might as well have been asking his sister what she remembered of their father from before she’d been born. Scratch that idea then.

So what were his other options? The logical thing to do would be to go to a place he knew Jack would be and wait for him there. In his dreams, or visions, or whatever they’d been he’d seen Jack leave earth, teleported up to a vessel somewhere in orbit. The ship must have done the teleporting, because the Doctor had disabled the teleport and time travel capabilities of Jack’s Vortex Manipulator. And anyway, it had only been returned to him just before he left. He wouldn’t have had the time or the tools to fix it. Ianto knew he and his TARDIS couldn’t land on earth themselves because of the time/space bubble caused by the two explosions on top of the Rift, but if they got into position soon enough, could they teleport Jack up themselves? Or alternatively, intercept the teleportation stream before Jack reached the freighter? Those ideas were quickly shot down; the TARDIS didn’t have a teleport. If you were able to materialise in any place and at any time, why would you need teleportation technology? Ianto sighed and massaged his temples; he was starting to get a headache.

After a great deal of discussion, Ianto and his TARDIS decided that their best option was to get into a geostationary orbit above what Ianto’s vision indicated to be Jack’s departure point from earth, and wait. With luck, maybe they could locate the freighter that would carry Jack away from earth and land somewhere inside it. That way, they’d be there waiting for Jack when he was teleported aboard.

Erring on the side of caution, they took up position while it was still only mid-afternoon in Cardiff. Floating four hundred thousand kilometres above earth wasn’t ideal, but that was as close as the space/time bubble would allow them, so it would have to do. From what Ianto could remember, if what he’d seen in his dream was correct, Jack wouldn’t be leaving until late evening, but they wanted to be ready and waiting by the time the freighter arrived.

With several hours to wait, Ianto made his way down to the residential level, took a sonic shower and headed for the kitchen to get something to eat. The cupboards and refrigeration units contained such a wide variety of foods that he was spoiled for choice; it took him half an hour just to decide what he fancied. Thanks to the state of the art kitchen equipment, cooking his pie and chips didn’t take long at all and he was soon sitting at the table enjoying his meal.

“You are very quiet,” the TARDIS murmured in the back of his mind.

“I’m sorry, I’m just thinking. I don’t even know what I’ll say to Jack when I see him. What do you say to someone who’s mourning you? Hi, sorry you thought I was dead? And what if this doesn’t work? What if it takes a long time to find him and he’s moved on to someone else by then? I don’t think I could bear that.”

“It is not wise to think too far ahead; you are anticipating problems where there may be none.”

Ianto sighed and ate his last chip. “You’re right, I know, it’s just hard not to worry.” He rinsed his dishes, put them in the dishwasher, switched it on and leant back against the counter top. “I don’t want to get my hopes up too high in case this doesn’t work,” he said quietly.

“You believe we will fail?”

“I have to believe we’ll find Jack eventually, but you’ve got to admit our current plan of action is a bit shaky. We’re working from some kind of vision I had, which might well have been just a dream with no basis in fact whatsoever. The freighter we’re waiting for might not even exist.”

“Do you think it was just a dream?”

Ianto thought about it for a while, arms folded across his chest, frowning as he tried to remember every detail.

“No. It didn’t feel like a dream, it was more like being there, watching a scene play out right in front of me. It felt real.”

“Then perhaps you should trust your instincts.”

“That still doesn’t guarantee success.”

“Few things are guaranteed. Whether we are successful or not, we still must try; that is the only way to find out for sure whether or not it will work.”

“Good point.” Ianto pushed away from the counter and made his way back up to the console room. With nothing else that really needed doing, he had no choice but to wait; it was astonishingly boring. Here he was, in a TARDIS, in space, and he was bored. Apparently, even being in the most extraordinary craft in the universe couldn’t make waiting anything more than tedious. Ah well, he supposed he couldn’t expect wall-to-wall excitement all the time. Might as well use the time constructively by taking a nap.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Ianto was half dozing, stretched out on one of the console room sofas, his jacket folded neatly over the back of the nearest chair, when his TARDIS spoke.

“If you are correct about the freighter, it should arrive shortly.”

Opening one eye, he raised an eyebrow. “How can you be sure?”

“One person arrived on the hilltop twenty minutes ago. There are two more people just beginning the ascent.”

“You can really see people from this far away?”

“My perception is excellent.”

“I’ll say. So, no sign of the freighter yet?”

“There is not.”

“Would’ve thought it would be here by now. What’s the range of a teleport?”

Swinging his legs off the couch, Ianto rose to his feet, snagging his jacket off the chair as he passed and slipping it on as he made his way to the console.

“I am unsure, but I suspect accuracy would deteriorate with distance. I would estimate approximately five hundred thousand kilometres as the maximum range for guaranteed safety. Beyond that distance, the subject’s molecules would stand an increasingly greater chance of being scattered.”

Ianto winced. “Not a pleasant thought.”

“The subject would have no awareness of their fate.”

“And yet somehow I don’t find that at all comforting. Just the idea of Jack’s molecules being scattered… Would he still be able to come back from that kind of death?”

“I would not care to speculate, there is insufficient data. Ianto, I sense a disturbance in the vortex, approaching rapidly.”

“Is it the freighter?”

“That would be a logical assumption. It will need to emerge before it is able to teleport your captain.”

“Can you tell where it’ll come out?”

“Not with any degree of accuracy at this point. From outside the vortex, it is difficult to lock on to a moving object within. However, it is slowing so I believe it will emerge shortly.”

The TARDIS was right; a couple of minutes later Ianto watched on the viewscreens as, in a brief burst of golden light, a large, blocky spaceship broke through into regular space.

“That’s it?”

“I believe so. It is a Macassian freighter, and it is receiving a signal from the planet.”

“There’s a problem, isn’t there?”

“I am sorry, Ianto. We cannot board, it has emerged closer to the earth than I am able to approach.”

Ianto sighed heavily. “That figures. It would have been too easy otherwise; I think fate wants to make me work for this reunion.” They were out of choices; Ianto could see only one course of action available to them if he didn’t want to completely lose track of Jack. “Okay, if we can’t board, is there any way to lock onto its energy signature or whatever and follow it through the vortex to its destination?”

“I believe I may be able to track the ship by following its ion trail.”

“That sounds promising.”

“I must warn you that most ships travel through the vortex at a much slower pace than I am able to achieve. Transit to their destination is likely to take several days.”

“Well, there’s not much we can do about that, unless… Could you maybe slow down time in here again, like you did while we were collecting the 456 data?”

“I will try, but it will be more difficult within the vortex, especially as we will be travelling at considerable speed.”

“Well, just do what you can and if it doesn’t work it doesn’t matter. As long as we can follow the freighter, a few days won’t make all that much difference. Can you tell if Jack’s aboard yet?”

“Yes, teleportation was successful. Only two people remain on the hilltop and they appear to be departing. The ship is powering up, Ianto. Please release my parking brake and hold on to the railing, the transition may not be as smooth as usual. We will be following in the freighter’s wake.”

Doing as requested, Ianto took a tight grip on the railing that surrounded the console platform, gritting his teeth in anticipation of a rough ride ahead. It proved almost anticlimactic. Entering the Vortex a split second after the freighter, and almost on top of it as it passed close to their position, was pretty rough. Ianto thought it was comparable to making the crossing to Flat Holm Island during a storm, which thankfully he and Jack had been forced to do only twice. The TARDIS was buffeted violently, as if being hit by gale force winds or huge waves, but it lasted only a matter of minutes as they entered the vortex equivalent of the freighter’s slipstream, keeping well back for reasons of safety as well as to avoid the freighter crew realising they were being followed. The last thing they wanted was to have it start trying to evade them, thinking they were space pirates or something. All they wanted was to follow it to its destination and get to Jack as soon as possible after he disembarked.

As soon as they steadied, Ianto carefully peeled his fingers off the railing, releasing his white-knuckle grip. He’d help on so tight he almost expected to find he’d left dents in the shiny brass.

“Well, that was an… experience.”

“I apologise. Are you alright?”

“Fine, thanks. Once you get used to Jack’s driving, you find very little can faze you,” he explained with a wry smile. “SUVs are really not designed to be driven at over eighty miles an hour over unpaved tracks. The way he used to drive, it’s a miracle he only ever broke the axle once, ironically by hitting a pothole on a paved road.”

“Your captain sounds like a colourful character.”

Ianto chuckled. “That’s one way to describe him.”

“I believe I shall like him.”

“I hope so. He’ll certainly like you, no doubt about that. If we ever catch up with him, that is.”

 

OoOoOoO

 

It turned out that following a ship through the vortex wasn’t as easy as it sounded. They lost it several times over the next few days and had to keep backtracking to pick up the ion trail again. It was only after the third time that it occurred to Ianto what might be happening.

“It’s a freighter, so it’s probably carrying cargo, right?”

“That would be a logical assumption, yes.”

“So when we lose it, maybe that’s because it’s dropped out of the vortex to make a delivery.”

There was silence for a minute, before the TARDIS responded, sounding rather sheepish.

“I had not considered that, but it seems likely. I am sorry.”

“Not your fault, I should have thought of it myself. Besides, you’ve never tried to follow something through the vortex before; you’re having to figure things out as you go. I don’t expect you have ‘how to’ instructions for every eventuality right there at your… um, I was going to say fingertips, but…”

“I do not have fingertips, or fingers for that matter, but I understand your meaning. You are right, I have much still to learn, and the best way to learn is through experience.”

“Okay, good, we’re both learning. Now, is there any way to anticipate when it’s going to leave the vortex so that we can follow next time?”

“It would be much simpler if we knew its flight plan.”

“Well, that’s out unless we can hack their navigation computer. I wish Tosh was here; she’d probably be able to figure out a way.”

“Perhaps it will not be necessary. I have analysed the freighter’s ion trail; each time there were minute changes shortly before I lost track of it. I have increased the sensitivity of my sensors so that I can detect such changes more easily, I will be ready the next time.”

“Have I ever mentioned that you’re brilliant?”

“I do not believe so.”

“A shocking oversight on my part; I should have done so. Praise where it is due.”

“It is unnecessary, but I admit it gives me pleasure that you think so.”

“Quite right too. One should always accept compliments with modesty and pleasure.”

“I will keep that in mind. Thank you, Ianto.” There was silence for a few minutes and then the TARDIS spoke again in that corner of Ianto’s mind reserved solely for her. “It might be well to hold on to something, I may be required to make an abrupt change of direction shortly.”

Before Ianto could even acknowledge her instructions, the TARDIS suddenly seemed to shoot off sideways and Ianto found himself on the floor as if a rug had been pulled out from under him. 

“A little more warning next time would be nice. I have good reflexes, but not that good; it takes a few seconds for my body to react to the messages sent by my brain.”

“I apologise, it was necessary to move fast in order to exit the vortex close to the freighter’s exit point. Are you damaged?”

“Only my dignity. I should be used to that by now.” Ianto scrambled to his feet, dusted himself off, which was completely unnecessary considering how spotless the TARDIS was, and made his way to the console. The viewscreens showed a small solar system, a sun and four planets. The freighter was visible as a small, greyish blob, roughly rectangular in shape and already a considerable distance ahead of them.

“The two outer planets are similar in size to earth, and habitable. The freighter is approaching the nearest of the two. There appears to be a space station in orbit about it. I believe the freighter will dock there to offload its cargo.”

“That gives us a few options. We can land on the space station and I can try to talk to the captain of the freighter, or we could land aboard the freighter itself while I try to locate Jack, or we could try to make radio contact with the freighter’s crew, ask them to let Jack know that we’re here. Which d’you think would be best?”

“I do not have a preference, all three courses of action would seem to have an equal chance of being effective. Perhaps this choice should be yours.”

Ianto thought things through as the freighter made its way towards the space station, finally coming to a decision as they watched it dock.

“Okay, I think we should go with option one; land on the space station and talk to the captain. That way, he might be willing to act as an intermediary, I can give him a message to give to Jack.”

“What message would you send?”

“That’s easy, I’d invite him to board the TARDIS; it’s an offer he wouldn’t be able to refuse. The earth was in danger, yet the Doctor never came; Jack will want to know why.”

“Very well, I will take on the appearance of a police box. Your captain will be most surprised when he steps on board.”

“That’s the general idea. I’m hoping it’ll be a lot easier to explain to him what happened after the House of the Dead blew up if he can see the evidence for himself.”

Moments later, the familiar sound of the TARDIS materialising filled the console room. Sounding rather pleased with herself, the TARDIS announced, “We have arrived.”

 

Chapter 9


	9. Crossed Wires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto finds more obstacles thrown in his path as what at first seemed like the fairly straightforward task of catching up with Jack is beset by one minor disaster after another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Challenge #102: Disaster at fan_flashworks. 
> 
> **Spoilers:** CoE, House of the Dead.

The space station’s interior was all smooth, metallic curves, indirect lighting and recycled air. For a futuristic (in earth terms) facility, it seemed surprisingly bland to Ianto, more like a massive shopping centre than a spaceport. Well, if you ignored the docked spaceships visible through the transparent far wall. People and… beings passed back and forth through airlocks leading to the individual ships, each one connected to the station by a flexible, tube like corridor to allow crew and passengers to board or disembark. Cargo was transferred on and off the ships by means of conveyer belts.

Ianto took everything in at a glance while making his way to the Macassian freighter’s berth, following directions from the TARDIS. She had materialised discreetly at the end of a row of small kiosks, presumably selling duty-free items, trinkets for tourists, and fast food. He waited a short distance away, watching as a being he was assured was the freighter’s captain, handed paperwork to one of the port’s officials to be checked and stamped. Formalities over, the official moved to the end of the nearby conveyor belt, presumably to check the cargo as it was offloaded. The captain made his way over to the kiosks, where he purchased a carton of what looked like crispy deep-fried tentacles. Ianto wasn’t sure whether he felt intrigued by the alien version of chips or disgusted.

“They are Saiyami, considered quite a delicacy. Despite appearances, they are a kind of vegetable and completely safe for human consumption, if you care to try some,” his TARDIS informed him,

“Maybe later. Business before snacks.”

Working his way slowly through the crowds thronging the concourse, Ianto approached the captain, a short, stocky, olive-skinned humanoid with the long ears of a bloodhound. Instead of hair, his head was covered in greenish-brown scales that spread down the back of his neck, vanishing beneath the collar of his smart mud-brown uniform. As he drew closer, Ianto noticed that the Macassian’s face was also covered in scales, though they were much smaller. His ears and equally long, drooping nose gave the captain a faintly lugubrious expression, belied by lively, bright orange eyes.

“Captain Lukek?” Ianto greeted him politely, thanks to the TARDIS’s translation abilities. He touched his fingertips to his forehead and bowed slightly. The captain returned the salute.

“That’s me, esteemed sir,” he replied in a jovial and quite high-pitched tone. “Saiyami?” He held the container out to Ianto.

“Don’t mind if I do,” Ianto replied, taking a crispy vegetable and biting into it, pleasantly surprised by the flavour, like mild but spicy pepper with a hint of tomato. “Oh, that’s very good.”

“The best Saiyami in the quadrant is grown on the planet below, I always treat myself to some when we stop here. Now, what can I do for you? Are you looking for passage? Our guest quarters are Spartan but clean and our rates are very reasonable, although the planets we are scheduled to visit on this trip and not among the more popular destinations.”

“Thank you, no. Actually, I’m looking for a man I believe to be travelling with you.”

“You are not law enforcement are you? I would not like to think one of our passengers was some kind of criminal.”

“No, no, nothing like that. I’m sorry, how rude of me, I neglected to introduce myself. John Smith of Earth. I’m looking for a friend of mine, Jack Harkness, although he might be travelling under another name. About my height, wearing a long grey coat. He would have boarded your ship via teleport at Sol Three.”

“Ah yes, I know the gentleman you mean. Very quiet, kept to himself, rarely left his cabin and then only to occasionally dine apart from the crew and other passengers. He is travelling under the name James Jones. If I might venture an opinion, he seemed burdened by a deep sorrow.”

“He has recently suffered a bereavement, his grandson’s death was very sudden.”

“I see, that is sad indeed, a cause for great sorrow.” Captain Lukek touched his four thumbs together in a gesture of sympathy, leaving Ianto wondering how he could bend his hands like that.

“I was wondering if you could pass on a message to him, asking him to meet me at my ship?”

“Well, I would be happy to oblige, esteemed Johnsmith, but unfortunately your friend is no longer on board.”

“Oh, that’s rather inconvenient. Could you perhaps tell me where and when he disembarked?”

“I regret I am unable to supply that information.” Lukek seemed genuinely regretful. “Your friend borrowed some tools from my chief engineer in order to repair his personal teleportation device, which had become damaged. When we docked here, Engineer Jazzek went to see if he could offer your friend his assistance with the repairs, but he found the cabin empty, just the tools, a note expressing gratitude for the loan, and payment for his passage. Of your friend there was no sign and as we do not monitor the guest cabins out of deference to the privacy of our passengers, we have no means of determining at what point along out route your friend chose to leave us. I can supply a copy of the course we followed between Sol Three and here, if that would be of any help.”

Ianto felt his heart sink. He’d been so close to finding Jack, but now it looked like he might be further away from his lover than ever, depending on whether Jack had managed to fix the time travel function of his Vortex Manipulator as well as the teleport. He could be literally anywhere in time and space. There was no use in wallowing though.

“Thank you, that would at least give me some idea of where to resume my search,” Ianto told the captain, clasping his hands beneath his chin to show proper gratitude.

Captain Lukek inclined his head graciously. “It would be my honour to assist you. May I say what a pleasure it is to encounter a gentle-being such as yourself? Good manners are sadly lacking these days.” He pulled out a device from one of his pockets, pressed a few buttons and after a moment, something resembling a memory card was extruded from a slot in the side. He passed the small object to Ianto. “This contains all the data I am able to provide on that section of our route. I sincerely hope it will assist you in determining the whereabouts of your friend.”

Ianto clasped his hands beneath his chin again, bowing slightly. “I am grateful to you beyond measure, Captain Lukek. If I can ever assist you in any way, I am at your service.”

The captain bowed in response, tugging his ears. “My crew and I are honoured by your offer, esteemed Johnsmith.” 

With that, business was concluded and Ianto straightened, slipping the chip into his inside pocket. “Might I offer you another tub of Saiyami to compensate you for your time?” Macassians would not accept currency except in return for transportation or goods; it would be an insult to offer payment. However, food and drink were considered acceptable gifts.

“Most kind of you, I accept with pleasure.”

Together they made their way through the crowds to the booth the captain had visited earlier, where Ianto purchased two tubs of the peculiar delicacy, handing one to Lukek. With a final bow, they took their leave of each other, the Macassian returning to his ship and Ianto wending his way through the throngs towards the TARDIS, munching Saiyami as he walked.

“Well,” he silently addressed the TARDIS, “that was a bit of a disaster. I’m starting to think we might be jinxed.” 

“It is beginning to seem we are rather short on luck,” the TARDIS agreed sympathetically. “If I had kept better track of the freighter during transit through the vortex…”

“It’s not your fault,” Ianto cut her off quickly. “These things happen. I just seem to be making a complete hash of planning and taking into account all the factors. I didn’t expect Jack to find a way to repair his Vortex Manipulator so quickly.”

“If I am not to be considered at fault in this matter, then neither are you, Ianto,” the TARDIS chided gently. “We are both inexperienced, we cannot expect ourselves to perceive every eventuality in advance. We are not clairvoyants.”

“Well, I’m not anyway. You can see the future to some extent…”

“Correction; I perceive timelines, it is not the same thing. Major events stand out, but small occurrences are only detectable if I am concentrating on a particular event or a specific timeline.”

Ianto opened the TARDIS’ door and slipped inside, closing it firmly behind him and settling into the nearest chair, munching another piece of Saiyami; its reputation as a delicacy was well deserved.

“Okay, so that’s twice that we’ve had a perfect opportunity to connect with Jack turned into a minor disaster by outside influences. What do we do now? Jack could literally be anywhere by now, or even anywhen. I don’t even know if a Vortex Manipulator needs to recharge between uses.” He bit viciously into his Saiyami, frowning.

“You have the information Captain Lukek gave you?”

“Yep! Here.” Ianto dug in his pocket, withdrawing the small chip.

“If you would be so kind as to place it in the slot indicated on my console…”

Ianto did as asked and watched as a complicated interstellar chart appeared on one of the viewscreens.

“I hope you can make sense of that, because I don’t have a clue.”

“It is quite straightforward. The coordinates refer to the solar systems and individual planets the freighter stopped at; below those are the universal dates and times of arrival and departure. Four stops were made between Earth, or Sol Three, and here, over the course of fifteen earth days.”

“But we were travelling through the vortex for less than half that time.” Ianto was confused.

“Time passes at a different speed within the vortex.”

“Really? Well, I’ll take your word for it. Don’t bother trying to explain though, I doubt I’d understand,” Ianto commented wryly.

“As you wish. I suggest we proceed to the last world the freighter visited and work backwards from there. I will use my sensors to search for a teleportation signature or anything that would indicate that a time travel device has been used between the time the freighter emerged from the vortex and the time of our arrival. It is unfortunate that we do not know the frequency on which your captain’s Vortex Manipulator operates, but it should still be possible to narrow my search parameters once I can rule out other devices.”

“What if Jack left the freighter while it was in the vortex?”

“That would be extremely dangerous, as well as very difficult, if not impossible, to detect.”

“I wouldn’t put it past Jack to try it, especially after his recent losses.” Ianto wearily ran one hand through his hair. “So if that’s the case, we’re out of luck?”

“It is likely.”

“Wonderful. Can today get any worse?”

“I would not like to speculate.”

OoOoOoO

Captain Lukek passed through the final airlock into his ship and made his way to the cabins set aside for paying passengers, knocking lightly on the door of one. There was silence from within, but after a few minutes the door slowly opened a few inches.

“Captain Lukek, what can I do for you?”

“I have done as you requested, though it pained me greatly. A tall gentleman approached me aboard the station and asked if I might pass a message on to you, inviting you to visit with him aboard his ship. He was wearing an earthian suit of clothes and travelling in a large blue box, just as you said he would be. As you requested, I informed him that you were no longer aboard, having left at some indeterminate point between here and Sol Three. I fear I have treated him with great disrespect, sending him away on a… I believe the earthian term is ‘wild goose chase’?”

“Yes, that’s correct,” Jack replied dully. “Thank you.”

“It is a regrettable thing to be compelled to tell untruths to such a fine, well-mannered being.”

“I know, and I apologize for asking that of you, Lukek.”

“He gave his name as Johnsmith and claimed to be your friend.”

Jack nodded wearily; he appeared pale and listless, a mere shadow of his former self.

“He is, I just can’t face him right now, not after all that’s happened. One day I’ll have to, there are things I need to know; why he wasn’t there to protect earth and prevent the near disaster that claimed my lover and my grandchild for one.”

“Johnsmith did not mention your lover, only your grandchild.”

A bitter half-laugh escaped Jack. “No, I don’t imagine he did. I don’t think he believes I’m capable of being in a committed relationship with one person. Sometimes I wonder if he really knows me at all.” He sighed sadly. “I appreciate all you’ve done for me. I just need some time alone, to think and grieve, and to commit to memory those I’ve lost.”

“Time and privacy are within my ability to provide, my friend. You are welcome to remain aboard for as long as you need. The crew and other passengers will not disturb you.”

Jack clasped his hands beneath his chin and bowed slightly. “Thank you.” Before Captain Lukek had a chance to respond, he found himself facing a closed door.

Trudging back to his own cabin, Lukek twitched his nose sadly. This was an altogether regrettable business, but he owed the man who now called himself James Jones a debt of honour for saving the life of his second wife when her small scoutship had crashed on earth some forty earth years ago. Lukek himself had been merely first mate at the time of the incident, and Mikek was not only his wife but also the youngest daughter of the ship’s captain. Her death would have spelled disaster for Lukek, both in terms of his personal life and his career, since he’d been the one to authorise her flight. He had vowed then that if ever he could offer assistance to the human who enabled his dear wife to return to her family, he would do so. He would not renege on that debt, even though it meant he must behave dishonourably; doing so would be an even greater dishonour. Besides, Mikek would kill him.

OoOoOoO

Alone in his cabin, Jack lay on the bunk staring at the ceiling. Like everything else on board, it was beige, which suited his mood. He’d known the Doctor would be bound to find him, he just hadn’t expected it to be so soon; in some ways that made it worse. He’d lost Ianto for the second time in six months less than a month ago, ship’s time, just when he’d started to think there might be a chance for both of them to step out of the House of the Dead and make a life together. But Ianto was too noble and self-sacrificing to leave destroying Syriath and closing the Rift to chance. He really was gone for good this time. Jack felt as though his heart were being ripped to shreds all over again; seeing the Doctor would have been akin to pouring acid on the wounds.

Where had the Doctor been while the 456 had been trying to take earth’s children? What could possibly have been more important than protecting the planet and people he claimed to care so much about? One day, maybe he’d be ready to hear the Doctor’s answers to those questions, but not now, not yet; it was still far too soon. For now, all he wanted was to remember Ianto and Steven as they’d been when they’d been so full of life, not as they’d looked the last time he’d seen them, pale and still in death. 

Immortality was the cruellest trick that could be played on anyone; it wasn’t endless life, it was endless loss and grief, eternity devoid of hope. Like any torture, it could only be endured. Jack would do so because he had no other choice, and also because he’d promised a brave and selfless young Welshman that he would remember him.

That was a promise he intended to keep no matter what it cost him.

 

Chapter 10


	10. Black Market Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Ianto and the TARDIS continue their search for Jack, the grieving Captain is on a quest of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Challenge #103: Contraband at fan_flashworks. 
> 
> Thanks to dia_luciam for the Black Market idea! Also, apologies for the long wait; life’s been getting in the way and I’ve been struggling with writing a difficult chapter.

Since further discussion failed to turn up any better plan of action, Ianto settled for doing as his TARDIS suggested. They backtracked along the freighter’s route, searching for any indication that either a teleport or a time travel device had been used in the vicinity of any of Captain Lukek’s scheduled stops. On the plus side, they detected nothing to indicate time travel, assuming they were even checking in the right places, so maybe Jack hadn’t been able to completely repair his Vortex Manipulator. Even though they couldn’t be one hundred percent certain, Ianto chose to take it as a positive sign.

Teleportation was a different matter; it seemed many ships made use of teleportation technology, for a variety of different reasons. Some were legitimate but most had more to do with smuggling contraband items on- or off-world. It was an effective way of circumventing customs at the spaceports. Ianto and his TARDIS had no choice but to follow up every instance of teleportation involving living beings that they could, just in case Jack had found a way to disguise his biological signature. That meant going back in time to track each teleport beam to its destination, which was both time-consuming and tricky, but it was to no avail. After days of searching, by TARDIS time, Ianto knew far more about transporting livestock of various species than he’d ever wanted to. He’d also, thanks to the TARDIS, made an unintentional purchase. 

 

OoOoO

 

They had tracked a shipment of something living to a run-down warehouse on the outskirts of a rather seedy mining settlement, situated on one of this particular solar system’s small moons. The warehouse had turned out to be the current base of operations for the local version of what on earth might be termed the black market. Ramshackle wooden stalls were crowded together in the near-derelict building, selling all the things that the people who worked in the mines found hard to get by legal means. Most of the wares on sale were probably stolen, the sellers having the rough, tough, shifty appearance of smugglers, opportunists and petty thieves. They were the kind of people, Ianto suspected, who would take what they could from wherever they could find it and sell it on for whatever price they could get.

Swapping his smart suit for some rather less conspicuous overalls, Ianto dirtied up his face and hands, pulled a battered hat low over his eyes and pocketed the currency the TARDIS provided, before venturing out into the market. It hadn’t been difficult to locate what had been teleported to the surface. A scruffy-looking, pig-snouted alien was busily setting up his stall in an unoccupied corner. Amid baskets of semi-fresh produce, assorted slightly rusty tools, damaged electronic devices and a surprisingly varied selection of what could’ve been either spices or recreational drugs, the tall cage of tiny, jewel-bright birds stood out like a beacon. Ianto stifled a sigh of disappointment; yet another dead-end. He really needed to stop getting his hopes up every time.

“Go and look over his wares,” the TARDIS instructed him.

“Why?”

“Because I wish to take a closer look through your eyes. Don’t appear too interested in anything; insult the quality of everything you look at. Buyers at these places should never appear too eager to spend their credits. They probably have little to spare. Everything on sale here is most likely a luxury to the miners.”

Ianto shrugged and did as she asked, poking at the unfamiliar fruits and vegetables, muttering about them being bruised and less than fresh, picking up a couple of the tools and frowning at them, grumbling about the condition, asking if one of the electronic devices worked or not… It didn’t, but the seller assured him it could easily be repaired if he could acquire one small missing component.

“And if I can’t, it would just be wasted credits,” Ianto replied. “Not worth the risk.” He looked at the cage filled with birds. “Who d’you think would want them on a place like this?” he asked incredulously.

“Salvaged ‘em off a wreck,” the seller replied, snuffling. “Thought they could be used down the mines, early warning fer bad air, like. Heard people on other worlds do that, take birds down the mines. Bird falls off perch, air’s bad, people get out. Saves lives.”

“Have to spare food and water for them though,” Ianto argued.

“Don’t eat much, could throw in some seed for ‘em. Ya could sell ‘em off to others, make some credits back on the deal.”

Ianto continued haggling with the seller for a few more minutes, saying what the TARDIS told him to say, and before he completely knew what was happening, he was handing over half the original asking price and taking possession of a cage full of birds, a bag of seed and a set of small tools in a worn leather pouch. 

“Why did you tell me to do that?” he silently asked his TARDIS, an exasperated tone colouring his thoughts, as he walked away from the stall loaded down with his purchases. “What am I going to do with a flock of birds?”

“I find them pleasing,” the TARDIS replied. “They are bright and colourful, and the sound they make is pleasant.”

“Meep meep meep,” the birds cheerfully replied, hopping from perch to perch in their cramped cage. It wasn’t big enough for them to fly in.

“You wanted me to buy them because they’re pretty and sound nice?” Ianto was incredulous.

“They are also living creatures who do not deserve to be condemned to a short life in the mines.”

Ianto looked around at the miners haggling with the black market stallholders. They looked shabby and tired, their shoulders bowed as though from carrying a heavy burden. “Neither do these people,” he replied glumly.

“That is true, but none of these people must stay here permanently. Able-bodied citizens work in the mines for two years. In return, their children’s education will be paid for by the company that owns the mine. There is never a shortage of those willing to work the mines so that their offspring do not start adult life in debt. The colony needs the metals and minerals mined here in order to grow. It is hard work, sometimes dangerous, but the medical facilities are the best available and fatalities are rare. Encountering pockets of bad air is always the greatest risk. They are not always detected soon enough for all to escape.”

Ianto looked at the tiny birds in their cage. “Would these birds have helped save lives?”

“No. They would not survive underground long enough to help anyone. They need light and clean air, but most of all they need to be together as a flock. One alone would quickly fade away. The miners would have wasted their hard-earned credits.”

“So what are we going to do with them?”

“The garden room is growing well, I should like them released in there. They will have all they need to thrive and I shall derive great pleasure from their presence.”

Ianto opened the door of the TARDIS, at present disguised as an old tool shed in a corner of the warehouse, stepped inside and pushed the door closed behind him, setting his burden down on the floor to rest his arm. The ornate, domed metal cage was heavy and awkward to carry, and now his shoulder ached.

“I’ll put them in the garden after I have a coffee,” he told the TARDIS tiredly as he trudged over to the coffee station and began to make a much-needed drink. “That was the last teleport trail in the last solar system Lukek stopped at and we haven’t found any sign of Jack. Looks like we’ve hit a dead end; this search has just been a waste of time. I can’t shake the feeling that we’re missing something important.”

“It does appear that we do not yet have sufficient information to accurately predict your Captain’s destination.”

“Where he’s heading wouldn’t matter if we could just work out where he is right now.” Ianto sank into his favourite chair, set his coffee mug on one of the inset coasters and put his head in his hands. “I feel like I’m banging my head against a brick wall.” Sensing the TARDIS’s consternation at the statement, he chuckled tiredly. “It’s a figure of speech. I just mean that I feel like what we’re doing is completely pointless because it’s not going to help us find Jack. Maybe the best course of action would be to visit spaceports and show his picture to everyone in the hope that someone might have seen him. It’s got as much chance of being effective as what we’ve been doing.”

“Then that is what we will do. You have not rested in days, Ianto. You should eat and get some sleep. When you awaken we can begin with the spaceports in this solar system and work our way outwards from here. If we fail to learn of any sightings, we can move on to Captain Lukek’s next port of call and begin again.”

“Sounds good. Right, now we know what we’re doing I’m going to bed.” Ianto drained his coffee cup and headed for the kitchenette just off the console room to rinse it.

“I believe you are forgetting something, Ianto.”

“Huh?” Ianto stuck his head back into the console room

“The birds.”

“Oh, right, sorry. I’d better go let them out in the garden.” Picking up the heavy cage once more, Ianto set off down the corridor that led to the TARDIS’s newly ‘grown’ gardens.

“The things I do for you,” he chuckled. “You’re as bad as Jack at tricking me into doing things. I think some of his personality must have rubbed off on you during the years you spent growing on his desk.”

“I shall take that as a compliment,” the TARDIS replied primly, but Ianto could sense her amusement.

“Take it however you want,” he replied, smirking. “When we do find Jack, I have a feeling the two of you will get along very well indeed. I’m doomed!”

With the TARDIS’s laughter ringing in his head, Ianto continued on his way.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Black Market venues were more or less the same across the universe, Jack mused dully as he made his way through the crowds of shifty-looking people that thronged the seedy back alley. Tattered wooden stalls lined the narrow passageways in the most run-down section of Mormin’s spaceport, cluttered with every conceivable kind of contraband: illegal drugs nestled next to stolen goods, outlawed weapons weighed down one stall, while four or five ‘slaves’ huddled in a pen a few metres away. Jack paused briefly, considering the possibility of trying to rescue them, but shook his head and moved on. All he’d be doing would be condemning them to an early death; they’d be better off without his ‘help’. All he ever did was get good people killed. Head bowed, he moved on through the crowds.

Captain Lukek had docked the freighter at Mormin-port early that morning, on layover for a couple of days while looking for cargo. Most of the places the ship had visited since Jack boarded, they’d had a new load of cargo waiting to replace what they were delivering, but there were always a few places where nothing had been arranged in advance and Lukek would meet with various merchants to see what they needed to transport that would fit into his schedule. Macassian’s were a nomadic race, living aboard their ships. Each ship was crewed by an extended family, members joining and leaving as unions were formed and those younglings who had recently come of age set out to seek their fortune, and possibly a mate, with another family. 

Lukek himself had joined the crew of the Fiori Winnik as a lowly cargo loader many years before. He’d met Rukin, a trainee engineer, on his first day aboard and they’d been married barely two ship years later. He’d lost her much too soon in a tragic accident that had taken the lives of three other crewmembers as well, but had chosen to remain with the ship, unwilling to walk away from all his memories of their life together. He’d never regretted his decision. As time passed, he’d worked his way up the ranks and eventually met the much younger Miklo, youngest daughter of Captain Vislo. When Lukek was promoted to first mate, they’d been married, and Miklo had become Mikek, Lukek’s second wife. Jack had learned all of this when he’d first met Lukek, after rescuing Mikek from her crashed scoutship and keeping her out of Torchwood’s clutches. 

Since that time, Lukek and Mikek had been blessed with four fine children, all now serving aboard other ships, one of which was also in port. There would be a family get-together later and Jack had been invited as the guest of honour, but he wasn’t sure if he’d attend. He didn’t want to offend Lukek and his family, they’d taken him in and provided a much-needed refuge, but at the same time, he wasn’t good company these days and didn’t want to put a damper on the festivities. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do, so had taken the opportunity the extended stay provided to do a little shopping. 

First he’d drifted through the port market, where everything legal could be bought and sold, picking up small gifts for his hosts, then he’d made his way through the back-ways to the bad side of town. If he stood any chance of finding tools and components to fix his broken Vortex Manipulator, it would be here. 

Jazzek, the Chief Engineer, had loaned him a selection of tools and he’d been able to partially fix the teleport function, but the circuit that saved coordinates was irreparably damaged, meaning that he couldn’t guarantee he’d end up where he intended to go. The time travel circuitry also needed replacing; it had burned out the last time it had been used. Vortex Manipulators simply weren’t designed for transporting three people from the end of time, across billions of years and millions of light years. Not even with the benefit of Time Lord enhancements. His hope was that he might find similar technology that could be adapted to serve until hopefully he got lucky and came across a broken VM that could be cannibalised for spare parts. With all of time ahead of him, he had no doubt he’d find one eventually, it just wasn’t likely to be anytime soon. 

That was another good reason for avoiding the Doctor; he wouldn’t approve of Jack trying to fix his VM. After all, he was the one who kept deliberately breaking it to prevent Jack travelling around, like an overzealous father confiscating his son’s car keys so he’d have to stay in one place. Jack laughed bitterly, making a few heads turn as vendors and customers alike eyed him warily. Jack didn’t blame them; he had a feeling he didn’t look entirely sane these days with his haunted gaze and bad habit of muttering to himself. It was one of the reasons he avoided mirrors and reflective surfaces; he didn’t want to come face to face with himself. It was a safe bet he wouldn’t like what he saw. 

Jack knew he hadn’t been taking good care of himself; he’d lost weight and looked as pale and scruffy as most of the denizens of these back alleys. He’d not been eating enough and had been drinking far more than was healthy. Not that he had to worry about his health; it wasn’t as if he could do himself any permanent damage. Still, a little voice in the back of his mind kept whispering that Ianto would be so disappointed in him for letting himself get into this state. He’d tried to silence the voice with alcohol so many times, and even though it never worked, he couldn’t bring himself to stop, not quite yet.

Passing a stall selling recreational drugs, Jack paused and perused the selection of mood-enhancers. Maybe they would provide a way around his dilemma over tonight’s celebration. Pop a couple of pills and be mellow enough to get through the evening without spoiling it for anyone else. A few minutes later, he was making his way though the crowds again, this time with a small vial containing half a dozen doses of Diamond Daze, an illegal but relatively mild euphoric, nestled in the inside pocket of his short jacket. His greatcoat was packed away safely in a stasis pod in his cabin, along with his other valuables from earth. Some things were too important to wear in a place like this, where anyone might get murdered and stripped just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He wasn’t prepared to risk it; the coat had been one of the last things Ianto had given him, and as such was more precious to him than he could put into words.

Scouring the other stalls eventually netted him four circuit chips that could possibly be modified for temporary use in his VM, as well as a set of small tools in a metal case, and a miniature soldering iron designed for repairing circuits. Raw materials were readily available aboard the Winnik, so not really needing anything else, he started back towards the main port and his transport, determined to get cleaned up and attend the festivities. He owed Lukek that much at least.

As he made his way back through the crowded alleyways, he spared one last brief glance for the small group of aliens being sold into slavery, once again feeling a vague sense of guilt at doing nothing to help them. The Doctor would never have abandoned them to their fate. Then again, the Doctor wasn’t here; he never seemed to be where he was needed these days. But if Jack couldn’t even help himself, then how could he be expected to help anyone else? With a half shrug, he moved on, stopping only to buy decent clothing suitable for the party. It wouldn’t do to show up looking like he’d slept in his clothes, even if it _was_ the truth. He might be falling apart inside, but he still had a few shreds of dignity, not to mention manners, remaining. 

They’d been drilled into him by Ianto, so perhaps that was why they’d stuck with him even when he couldn’t seem to bring himself to care about much of anything else. With his last breath, Ianto had asked to be remembered; Jack suspected he couldn’t have forgotten the young Welshman even if he’d tried. Without either of them realising it, Ianto Jones had become so much a part of Jack that at some level, he would always be with him. Jack had yet to decide whether that was a blessing or a torment; possibly it was both. Either way, he couldn’t regret it; he’d rather suffer an eternity of torment than let go of a single memory of the time they’d had together, even if it drove him insane. Ianto was just that special. With his head full of memories of the man he’d loved and lost too soon, Jack made his way back to the ship.

Chapter 11


	11. Random Acts Of Kindness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto knows the kind of person he wants to be in his new life. While he searches for Jack, he’s going to help as many people as he can, regardless of species.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Challenge #104: Kindness at fan_flashworks. 
> 
> **Spoilers:** CoE, House of the Dead.
> 
>  **Summary:** Ianto knows the kind of person he wants to be in his new life. While he searches for Jack, he’s going to help as many people as he can, regardless of species.

Weeks had passed since the mining colony. Ianto and his TARDIS had travelled to every spaceport in the vicinity of every world they knew Captain Lukek had visited, which made forty-seven spaceports so far. Despite showing Jack’s picture to literally hundreds of people, no one seemed to have seen him and Ianto was becoming deeply demoralised.

“That was the last spaceport anywhere near the part of Lukek’s route we have data on. Either Jack hasn’t been to any of those worlds or we haven’t asked the right people. I’d expected him to teleport to the surface of a planet, or onto a space station, then head for the spaceport to find transport, but what if he simply teleported directly onto a docked ship, or even one in orbit? There’s almost no chance we’ll find someone who’s seen him if that’s the case.”

“Your plan was logical.” The TARDIS sounded puzzled.

“Yeah, well, Jack used to be a con-man long ago, or maybe far in the future, I’m not exactly sure. Point is, he must know all the tricks for covering his tracks. I’m not sure there’s any way we could find him if he doesn’t want to be found.”

“I do not understand; why would your Captain not wish to be found?”

“He’s grieving. Sometimes people who have lost loved ones just want to hide away because being around people who are happy just hurts too much. It reminds them of everything they’ve lost.”

“Is it not a bad thing to spend too much time alone? I do not enjoy being by myself.”

“Most of the time it’s better to have company, or at least to know that you can have company when you want it. But sometimes people want or even need to be alone with their thoughts and memories. You’re right though; too much time alone isn’t good.”

“It will be much more difficult to locate your Captain if he is avoiding contact with other sentient beings. What should we do now?”

“I don’t know. Keep looking, I guess. He’s out there somewhere, I can’t just give up; I need to keep trying even if it’s pointless. It’s better than doing nothing.” He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. “Okay, where’s the next spaceport?”

“I believe we should visit the main port at Mormin next.”

“Fine, set the coordinates please.”

It was a short hop to Mormin-port and within a few hours, Ianto was striding through the main port facility, showing Jack’s picture to crewmembers of all the ships currently docked there, as well as to the port’s customs officials; once again, he drew a blank. As he made his way back to the TARDIS again, a sudden thought hit him, almost stopping him in his tracks.

“We’re doing this all wrong!”

“We are? In what way?”

“I’m so stupid! Jack wouldn’t hang around the main port concourses, not if he’s trying to pass unnoticed. It’s possible he might try to get work aboard a freighter as crew, but I doubt that he has any papers, so it would probably be easier and cheaper to con his way aboard a ship that isn’t so concerned with staying on the right side of the law.”

“The vessel of one of the black market traders, perhaps?”

“Exactly! We’ve probably been looking in all the wrong places!” Ianto hurried back to the TARDIS and mere minutes later they were materialising in a shadowy back alley on the edge of Mormin-port’s mostly illegal black market. This time, Ianto couldn’t go flashing Jack’s picture around openly, that would have quickly aroused suspicion. Instead, he dressed casually, armed himself discreetly, and surreptitiously showed Jack’s image to various stallholders, offering a reward to anyone who could provide a genuine lead. He told people that the man in the image had been his partner and had stolen something of great value from him. Well, technically that was true; Jack had stolen Ianto’s heart, after all!

Even though they didn’t get any leads at Mormin-port, Ianto felt sure that this time he was on the right track. He was also convinced that word would spread among the black market traders, getting passed from world to world as they travelled. All he needed to do was keep frequenting the illegal and semi-legal markets that existed in the shadowy areas of most ports and sooner or later, he would run into someone who had seen Jack, or maybe even done business with him. He knew it would take time, but that was okay; time was one thing he had plenty of.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Three solar systems away from Mormin, at a market set up in what used to be the planet-side spaceport before a shining new space station had been built in orbit, Ianto was once again prowling among the stalls seeking information about Jack when he came across something that filled him with rage. One reptilian but basically humanoid trader had a pen beside his stall in which five furry aliens, dressed in shabby tunics and trousers, sat huddled together, their wrists manacled and heavy collars locked about their necks. Slaves. Ianto’s blood boiled at the thought of sentient creatures being forced into slavery and sold like cattle.

“Be still, Ianto,” the TARDIS warned in his head. “If you draw the wrong kind of attention, you will put yourself in danger. While being killed would not be a permanent problem, your revival would doubtless cause complications; these people seem to be somewhat skittish.”

“I can’t just ignore this!”

“Nor would I expect you to. However, for the safety of yourself and the beings that have been enslaved, maintaining your cover is of paramount importance. The traders are beginning to think of you as being like them, existing on the wrong side of the law. A business transaction would serve you better than a fight.”

“You’re saying I should buy those poor people?”

“Once they are in your possession they will be safe and we can perhaps find a way to return them to their homes.”

Ianto forced his anger back down. “Okay, good point. Do you think I have enough credits?”

“I believe so. However, there must be a certain amount of haggling before the transaction can be made; it is expected. The trader appears to have had these people for some time, judging by their condition. He will want to make a sale, so you must not appear too interested.”

“Like with the birds, I remember. Okay, let’s do this.” Ianto schooled his features into an expression of bored indifference and stepped out of the shadowy alleyway he’s been observing the market from. Hands in pockets, he sauntered over to the nearest stall, looking over the items displayed, poking at one or two, then wandering aimlessly towards the next stall. Slowly he made his way through the market, purchasing a couple of small items and asking about Jack, until in due course, he found himself in front of the stall selling the slaves. He made a point of studying them critically.

“You wish to buy? Good slaves!” The scaly, reptilian creature prodded at his captives with a stick, urging them to their feet.

“I’m looking for workers,” Ianto told him. “This lot are scrawny, how much work would I get out them? They look like a strong wind would blow them over.” That wasn’t entirely true; they looked underfed, but not to the point of weakness. Good food and rest would fix them up.

“They strong, work hard. Not eat live food, had to buy other food, just for them. Didn’t get enough.” He shrugged as if to say ‘how was I to know?’

Ianto stepped closer and examined the small group; he recognised their species, which just made their plight seem even worse. They kept their eyes averted, heads bowed, but he could see the tension in them. They weren’t comfortable beneath his scrutiny and he wished he could reassure them, but he had to keep up his act.

“They’d need a lot of feeding up to be of any use to me, but I guess I could take them off your hands for… oh, twenty credits a head,” he said in a bored tone.

“Twenty?” The reptilian sounded scandalised. “You insult! They worth hundred a head, easy!”

Ianto shrugged indifferently. “If you’re not interested…” He started to turn away.

“Wait! Not be hasty. Eighty.”

“Too high. I’ll go up to twenty five.”

“No good. Seventy!”

Back and forth they went while the ‘slaves’ pressed close together, looking miserable and scared. Ianto’s heart almost broke for them.

“Two hundred the lot, final offer.” Ianto hoped he was reading the situation right. 

The seller sighed heavily and held out his hand. “Done. You drive hard bargain! Is not much profit, but don’t need buy food now.”

They shook hands. “They better be worth it, or I’ll be after your hide!” Ianto forced a smile to match the other’s satisfied, toothy grin.

“You not disappointed,” he was assured. “They young; be good workers, many years.”

Handing over the agreed amount, Ianto waited as the trader dug out a set of keys, unlocked the captives’ chains from a metal ring in the wall and handed the lot to him. “All your.” He turned to the ‘slaves’. “You belong him. Go with,” and he shoved them in Ianto’s direction. 

“Come,” Ianto said brusquely, lightly tugging the chains in this hand, and he set off towards where he’d left the TARDIS. The sooner he had these poor people away from here the better.

 

OoOoOoO

 

This time, the TARDIS had disguised herself as a crumbling doorway in a concrete wall. She was actually parked neatly in the entrance to a derelict building that no longer had a door of its own.

Pushing the door open, Ianto stood aside and hustled the small group of aliens inside, following quickly and closing the door firmly behind him. He leaned back against it with a sigh of relief, closing his eyes for a moment. “Thank God, I was worried that might not work. I half expected him to come running after me saying he’d changed his mind!”

As he’d spent some time living among them a few years earlier, Ianto was familiar with the aliens’ species. They were a peaceful, agrarian race, completely vegetarian; kind, gentle souls who existed in harmony with nature. Back then, he’d dubbed them Space Wombles, because of their striking resemblance to the pointy-nosed, furry characters in the TV show he’d watched repeats of as a boy. Now the Wombles stood in a cluster just a few steps further inside the TARDIS, staring about themselves apprehensively, not knowing what they should do now and clearly worried they might anger their new ‘owner’.

“It’s okay,” Ianto hastened to reassure them, pulling out the set of keys he’d been handed and setting about unlocking the manacles from their wrists. “You’re safe now. Let me get these chains and collars off you and then I’ll get you something to eat and drink. You look like you need it.” 

“As you wish, sir,” one of the beings murmured deferentially.

“Please, I’m not your boss or your… owner,” Ianto told them gently. “I only paid that trader because it seemed the safest way to get you away from him. You’re free, and if it’s at all possible, I’ll get you back to your homes. I promise I’ll try my best to anyway.”

“Why would you help us? You do not know us.” They still seemed wary, as if they thought he might be playing some kind of cruel trick on them.

Having removed the last of the collars and tossed it towards the door with the rest, so they could be jettisoned into space, Ianto sat down on the floor in front of the Wombles, the way they would sit while reciting their legends and sharing tribal knowledge. Through long habit, they automatically settled themselves in a semi-circle before him, patiently waiting for him to begin.

“My name is Ianto Jones, I come from a planet called Earth,” he began, knowing that the TARDIS was translating his words into their own language for them. “A few years ago, I became stranded on your home planet. Your people could have just left me to fend for myself, but they didn’t; they took me in, gave me a home, shared what they had with me and treated me like family until after many months, I was able to return to my own world. In return, I taught them the languages of my people and told them tales of the legendary heroes of Earth. In helping you, I’m finally able to repay a debt of honour to your people. Besides, intelligent beings should not be traded for money as if they were animals, it’s just wrong in so many ways. I couldn’t walk on by and leave you there. I got a second chance at life and I know the kind of person I want to be; someone who helps those in need because it’s the right thing to do.”

“You will take us home?” one Womble asked, as if scarcely daring to believe.

“I’m certainly going to try. The only problem is, I’m not sure exactly where your world is, or even by what name it’s known to races other than your own. I came to your world through a Rift in space and time, and I returned to my own world through the same Rift; I never saw your world from space so I don’t know what to look for, other than the four moons. I don’t understand how you came to be on another planet; I know your race doesn’t have space travel.”

“We are farmers; we had no knowledge of other worlds, and no need or desire to travel to them. All we need exists on Talla.”

Ianto nodded. “I remember. Can you tell me how you came to be where I found you?”

The Womble who had spoken stood and moved away from the others, trading places with Ianto, who settled himself where the Womble had been sitting. Everyone waited in silence for the new speaker to begin.

“I am Auber, of the Tribe of Nerrim,” the Womble began in a clear, lilting tone. “I and my companions had left our village three sunrises before, gone in search of honeydew.” 

Ianto smiled, remembering the rich, sweet sap that a certain kind of flowering plant produced. Throughout the growing season, small parties regularly travelled to where the plants grew in order to collect the ripe stems.

“We were almost to the honeydew meadows when a roaring sound filled the sky and a dark shadow fell across us. We looked up in fear and wonder and saw a big metal bird pass by, away to sunward, coming down too fast. We thought it must be injured. When it fell to the ground, we ran to see if we could help it, but when we reached the place it had fallen, it was surrounded by beings we had never before seen. They were hairless, tall, pale and thin, and they wore clothing all in one piece, the colour of the sky at dusk. There was much smoke pouring from inside the metal bird and the beings were stumbling about, rubbing their eyes and coughing.

We helped them, bringing them water and making a cooling salve to ease their sore eyes and the burns on their pale skin. They said the metal bird was their spaceship, that it carried them from world to world, but it had become damaged. We stayed with them for two days, providing them with food and water while they repaired their spaceship, and in return for our kindness, when the repairs were done, they took us captive and forced us to go with them. They took us away from Talla and our people to a strange place made of cold metal, and there we were traded to another being in return for fuel for their ship. This being traded us to another, who took us to a different world and traded us to Gaff, the being you found us with.

It is hard to know the passing of days away from all that is familiar, and even harder when there in no sun by which to tell day from night, but as best we can tell, we have been gone from Talla for more than one hundred days. Our families must believe that we have fallen prey to some terrible disaster. They will have searched for us in vain, mourning our loss. That is our story.”

Tale told, Auber returned to sit with Ianto and the others. “What must we do now?” he asked quietly. “How are we to find our home again if you do not know where Talla is?”

“My ship is alive and she knows a great many things. I will tell her all I remember of Talla and she will search for worlds that match. Then we’ll simply visit each one until we find your home. Until then, know that you are welcome here.” Ianto rose to his feet. “Come with me, I think I have the ideal place for you all to live while you’re on board. You’re free to explore my TARDIS of course,” he added as he led them along a corridor towards a set of wide doors, “but I think you’ll be happiest in here.” Pushing the door open, he led them inside and they gasped in wonder at finding themselves standing in a lush, green valley among gently rolling hills. In the middle of the valley, a silvery stream burbled over smooth stones. There were trees and bushes scattered about, many bearing fruit, and a small forest topped a hill away to the right. Tiny, jewel-bright birds flitted about from tree to tree, meeping happily.

“How can there be a world inside your ship?” Auber asked in wonder.

“I don’t understand it myself,” Ianto admitted, smiling, “I just delight in it. The water is clean and fresh, there’s plenty of fruit, leaves and tubers to eat as well as everything you’ll need to build huts. If there’s anything else you need, just say so and we’ll do our best to provide it. For now, rest and refresh yourselves. The TARDIS is already searching for worlds that might match my memories, but you can help by trying to picture Talla in your minds.”

“We thank you, Ianto Jones. Your kindness will be remembered, even if we never find our home again.”

“I can promise we’ll never stop looking,” Ianto replied. “However long it takes. Until then, let this be your home.” He gestured around what the TARDIS termed the garden room. “Any time you wish to speak to me, the TARDIS will guide you to me, or I’ll come to you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll let you get settled in. There are things that need my attention before I can rest.” He held out his left hand to Auber, who pressed his own left hand to it palm-to-palm, as though they were about to start arm-wrestling. Auber’s snout crinkled in the Tallan equivalent of a smile.

“Rest well, Ianto Jones. I hope to talk more with you when you have time to spare. The others are young and shy, but when they feel bolder, I am sure they will wish to talk with you as well.”

“I’ll look forward to it. Rest well, Auber.” Ianto nodded to the others. “Daughters and sons of the Tribe of Nerrim.” They nodded shyly in return, and then Ianto turned away, leaving the small band to relax and recover from their ordeal.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Aboard the Fiori Winnik, lying on the bunk in his sparsely furnished cabin, Jack thought back over the celebrations of the previous night. The party had been both a family reunion and a joining ceremony, as Jenek, youngest daughter of Lukek and Mikek, became Jenly, wife of Tomly, navigator-in-training aboard the Fiori Domnik.

It had been a joyous occasion and Jack, thanks to a dose of Diamond Daze, had drifted through the gathering, talking with the other guests and joining in the dancing, floating on a sparkling haze through which he could feel no pain. He had five more doses stashed away safely and though it was tempting to take another and allow his grief to slip away again for a time, he resisted. He didn’t deserve to be free of the terrible emptiness that haunted him and anyway, he hadn’t taken the drug for his own benefit; he’d done it so he could repay his hosts’ kindness by celebrating their happiness with them. After all they’d done for him, it was the least he could do and he knew they’d appreciated the gesture, just as they’d appreciated the gifts he’d bought for them and for the happy couple.

By the end of the all-night party, the drug was starting to wear off and he’d felt the weight of his grief laying heavy on his heart once more, so after saying his farewells, he’d slipped back here to wallow in misery and memories. He hadn’t slept, just lay on his bunk reliving those five dreadful days and thinking of all the loved ones he’d lost over his long life. There were too many and his most recent losses made him feel that his heart was being ripped from his chest. He thought that sounded like a fitting punishment, except that then he wouldn’t be able to feel the ache of loss, or the guilt and regret over what he’d done. 

If only he could turn back the clock and live those days again. There were so many things he would do differently if only he could. But even if he could fix his VM, changing the past wasn’t an option. As much as he wished he could go back and save Ianto and Stephen, to do so would be to risk creating a paradox that could destroy the world. He wouldn’t risk billions of lives for selfish reasons; he’s done that once before, back in World War II, and if the Doctor hadn’t fixed the damage he’d caused… What might have happened didn’t bear thinking about. He hadn’t deserved the second chance he’d been given, but he’d tried so hard to be worthy of the kindness the Time Lord had shown him. Well, obviously he’d failed and as a result, he’d lost everything that mattered to him. What goes around comes around. With all the bad things he’d done in his long life, he should have known the good times wouldn’t last.

He knew he couldn’t stay aboard the Winnik forever though; someday soon he would have to go out into the universe and start trying to make up for his failures. Maybe if he tried hard enough and long enough he’d eventually succeed. At least it would be something to work towards.

 

TBC in Chapter 12


	12. Going Coastal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The search for Talla is going to take some time, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t all have some fun along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Challenge #106: Sea Life at fan_flashworks. 
> 
> **Spoilers:** CoE, House of the Dead

As the days passed and their new travelling companions settled into life on board, Ianto’s TARDIS busied herself gathering information about Talla from their minds as well as from Ianto’s memories, painstakingly piecing together every scrap she could find. There wasn’t much. Talla had two suns, and five moons of varying sizes, none of them as large as earth’s. Ianto had noted at least two other planets in its solar system, but it was quite possible that there were others, either too far away or too small to be seen with the naked eye.

As sparse as they were, even these few facts gave her somewhere to start from; binary stars were fewer in number than single stars, so that immediately cut down the number of solar systems she would need to look at, and she could also discount any that didn’t contain a planet with five moons. Even so…

“This search will indeed take time, Ianto. I will endeavour to narrow down the number of possible solar systems further, but we will still be left with a very large number.”

“You can cross off all those known to have space travel or any form of industry. Tallans don’t use technology of any kind. They’re a simple folk, peaceful farmers and hunter-gatherers, vegetarians who’ve domesticated a few of the native creatures as beasts of burden and to provide milk. They live in tribes and clans, extended family groups, and are often nomadic, moving around their ancestral homelands with the seasons. I think the clan who took me in lived near the equator; we had rainy and dry seasons, but nothing like winter. Temperatures remained pretty steady throughout the time I was there.”

“That does not mean their world is without colder regions, or that it does not experience seasonal changes,” the TARDIS reminded him.

“True. Do you think we stand any chance of getting them home?”

“I think there is no doubt that we will locate Talla one day; however, I cannot guarantee that it will be within their lifetimes.”

“I was afraid of that.”

“I will do all I can, but the search for Talla is not our primary quest, we are also seeking your captain.”

“Both searches are of equal importance, or they should be,” Ianto chided her gently. “Jack and I are immortal; as much as I want to find him again as soon as possible, even if it takes a hundred years or more I can deal with that. Our friends from Talla don’t have that advantage. They understand that they might never get back to their families again, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do our best to get them home.”

“You are correct, I apologise.”

“It’s okay. Just do what you can to narrow down the field of search; there must be a limit to how far they could have travelled from Talla in the time between when they were abducted and when we found them; they have to be from this general area of the galaxy, so start with the nearest planets that match what information we have, we can visit those first.”

“Are we not continuing the search for your Captain?”

“Of course we are. We’ll just stop off at whatever other planets we pass along the way, there are bound to be a few with spaceports. We’re just adding a second kind of planet to our search pattern.”

“That seems a sensible solution. Very well, I will calculate the optimum route to enable us to visit all spaceports in the vicinity as well as all planets that match the criteria we have established for possible matches with Talla.”

“Excellent!” Ianto smiled approvingly. “Um, I’m assuming you _are_ keeping a log of which planets and spaceports we’ve already visited?”

“Of course.”

“Right. We can start whenever you’re ready I guess, just let me know when we arrive somewhere.” With that, Ianto wandered off to the garden room to spend some time with his new travelling companions.

 

OoOoOoOoO

 

They visited nine more spaceports, where Ianto made cautious enquiries regarding Jack, before they arrived at the first world that might possibly be Talla. It was immediately obvious that this wasn’t the planet they were seeking; scans showed it was an ocean world dotted with small islands. Ianto and Auber stood in the console room, looking at images of the planet on the TARDIS’s viewscreens.

“Do you know if Talla has oceans?”

“I have never heard tell of any such great expanses of water.” Auber sounded slightly awed. “I have seen many lakes and rivers, the plains that are our home are blessed with numerous sources of pure, clean water, yet I have seen nothing so wide that the far shore was beyond sight. That does not mean they do not exist on Talla, but perhaps they lie beyond the mountains. To my knowledge, none of my people have ever found a way across; maybe there are other tribes on the far side who know of oceans.”

Ianto nodded thoughtfully. “Perhaps that’s so,” he agreed. “Still, if you’ve never seen an ocean, it would be a shame to come all this way and just leave without giving you a once in a lifetime experience.” 

The TARDIS understood immediately. “The atmosphere is breathable and I can detect no harmful organisms, or any large land-dwelling creatures. According to my observations, most of this world’s inhabitants are ocean dwellers and as such are unlikely to bother you if you wish to land.”

“I think a day at the beach might be quite pleasant,” Ianto said with a smile. “It would make a welcome change from the smelly back alleys and derelict buildings I’ve been frequenting lately. I spent most of my life living near the coast; I miss the sea. Find us a good-sized island and take us down, please. Maybe we’ll even find some new plants for the garden!”

“Gladly!” The TARDIS sounded quite enthusiastic. “I would welcome the warmth of sunlight; artificial light lacks certain qualities.”

 

OoOoOoOoO

 

After some discussion, Ianto and the TARDIS had selected a wide but sheltered cove on the lee side of one of the largest islands. The beach curved out to twin headlands, getting narrower and rockier as it went, and the sand was littered with the planet’s equivalent of shells, driftwood and seaweed at the shoreline; plenty of interesting things for the curious Tallans to explore.

Ianto led the small group from the TARDIS onto short, tufty grass, a few metres inland from a beach of pinkish-white sand leading down to the vast expanse of a blue-green ocean. The ocean lapped at the shore in gentle ripples and the whole scene was like some tropical paradise; sun, sand and sea with a sweet sea breeze taking the edge off the heat.

Although he made sure to call them the people of Talla to their faces, in his mind Ianto still couldn’t help thinking of his new travelling companions as Space Wombles. The name had popped into his mind the first time he’d met their kind, and despite spending two years living among them on their home world, it had stuck in his subconscious. Watching them now, their dark eyes wide with wonder and their snouts twitching as they drew in the unfamiliar salty tang of sea air, he was having a hard time not breaking into a chorus of ‘Wombling Free’. They were like children on their first trip to the coast, scampering down onto the beach, running their strong, stubby fingers through the warm sand and exclaiming in excitement over the strange and wonderful things they were finding.

The younger members of Auber’s party, though still a little in awe of their rescuer, had mostly got over their initial shyness. Of the four, the most talkative was Kellik, the taller of the two females. She found everything fascinating and was always full of questions, some of which even Ianto struggled to answer. The smallest, and also the youngest of the party was Jatso. He was the explorer, the one who got into everything and had taken to leaving the garden room for whole days in order to learn more about the TARDIS. Ianto suspected the young Tallan had probably seen parts of his spaceship that even he had yet to discover.

The other two, Olan and Diller, stayed close to each other at all times and were clearly a couple. Olan was Auber’s second son and was a lot like his father, a calm, strong and good-natured fellow, quick to find humour in almost any situation. Diller was the dreamer of the group, with the soul of an artist; back on Talla, she had been learning the craft of weaving. The weavers were responsible for making not only the strong, serviceable, earth-toned fabric Tallans used for their work clothes, but also the more delicate, brightly coloured cloth used in the outfits worn on feast days and festivals. She was quiet and thoughtful, but sharply observant, her eyes picking up details the others often missed.

Smiling at their antics, Ianto followed the small group down onto the sand as he called out to them.

“Try not to get out of sight of the TARDIS, and if you go in the water at all, stay close to shore. It’s shallow here and there aren’t any dangerous currents, but we don’t know what kinds of sea life exist on this planet, so keep your eyes open for anything that could possibly be dangerous.”

“Yes, Ianto!” they all chorused. It had taken a few days to get them to call him by his given name; at first they’d wanted to call him Eridyen, a word in their own language that roughly translated as ‘Honoured One’. It was usually bestowed on the wisest of the tribal elders, but he’d told them he didn’t deserve it, pointing out that he was younger than Auber and really not very wise at all, so in the end he’d won that argument.

He watched them spread out, their natural inquisitiveness kicking in, and felt a warm glow of happiness. People like these were born to be free; he was glad he’d been able to rescue them from slavery. 

Unsurprisingly, Jatso immediately headed out along the beach towards one of the headlands while Kellik started poking about among the flotsam and jetsam that had been deposited at high tide, no doubt gathering interesting things to ask questions about later.

Olan and Diller, arm in arm, wandered down to the water’s edge, dipping their hard soled furry feet into the warm water and expressing their delight with the low gurgling sound of Tallan laughter.

“The young find wonder and joy in the simplest things,” Auber commented.

“That’s how it should be,” Ianto replied. “Perhaps we would all do well to hold on to that ability. When we forget to find joy in simple things, we forget to enjoy living.”

“You say you are not old enough to be wise,” Auber rumbled, “but wisdom runs deep in you despite your youth, Ianto. You would be wiser still if you took your own words to heart and enjoyed the simple pleasures this place provides in abundance. I believe I shall sample them myself.” That said, he trotted across the sand and jumped into the water, deliberately splashing his son. Laughing, Ianto decided to leave them to it and set off after Jatso, intent on investigating the rockier terrain out towards the headland.

By the time he caught up with the young explorer, Jatso was already poking about among the multitude of tidal pools among the rocks, where strange and colourful creatures waited for the tide to turn and others were content to live out their lives. It reminded him of summer afternoons when he’d been ten or eleven, exploring rock pools with his mates, though they’d never found anything quite as peculiar as the creatures here. 

Things like rainbow-coloured corals crept over the rocks, apparently eating them if the shallow gouges on the rock surfaces were any indication. Three-legged insectoids stalked slowly across the bottoms of the pools like stilt-walkers, hunting small purple tadpoles, catching them with long, sticky cilia that would dart out from their undersides whenever their prey came within reach. Blobs and clusters of silver jelly wobbled in the gentle currents, pink eyes on stalks occasionally popping up in random places, peering around briefly and then withdrawing. Bright green and gold slugs undulated about, slurping algae from the rocks and occasionally being sucked in by the silver jelly when they foolishly ventured too close to a cluster. They were all fascinating, and Ianto took dozens of pictures with the device he’d had the TARDIS create for him. It was more than just a camera, it also scanned whatever it was aimed at, collecting and recording information to add to the TARDIS’s databanks.

Some time later, Jatso and Ianto’s happy study of the rock pool inhabitants was interrupted by the excited cries of the rest of his party. Looking back along the shoreline, he saw them gathered in a cluster, waving at him and pointing out across the water.

“What have they seen?” he asked his TARDIS as he turned to look where they were pointing, shielding his eyes and squinting against the brilliance of sunlight shining on water.

“There appears to be some kind of ocean-dwelling creature approaching the shore. It is mostly submerged, but my sensors indicate that it is quite large.”

“Are we in any danger?”

“I do not believe so, I do not detect any signs of animosity. Perhaps it is merely curious.”

Keeping their eyes on the ripples that gave away the creature’s position, Ianto and Jatso started back over the rocks, wanting to reach the others before whatever it was got too close to the shore, just in case they all had to retreat to the safety of the TARDIS. They were still several hundred metres away when it reared up out of the water. 

At first glance, Ianto was almost tempted to call it a sea serpent, except that the description was hopelessly inadequate. It had three long, serpentine ‘necks’, two of which ended in beaked heads, similar to those of snapping turtles; the third was topped by a silvery blue orb that pulsed steadily. Below that, encircling the ‘neck’ was a frill of fine tentacles that waved about as if sampling the air.

Ianto was unpleasantly reminded of the three-headed 456, though this couldn’t be the same species since it was breathing an atmosphere similar in composition to that of earth. Also, the third ‘head’ of this beast was nothing like the other two, whereas as far as he’d been able to tell through the murk in the tank, the 456’s three heads were identical. He concentrated his attention on the pulsing orb.

“It appears to be an organic sensor array,” the TARDIS mused. Ianto nodded; that would have been his guess too.

Aiming his scanner device at the sea monster, Ianto used it to get a look at the parts of the creature that remained below the surface. Its body was about five metres long, a flattened oval extending out at the sides into broad, fleshy ‘wings’ reminiscent of a manta ray’s, but blunt and rounded instead of coming to a point. Its tail was another broad, flat, curved fin, divided in two, each half able to move independently of the other, and the creature was using this tail fin to propel itself towards the shore, more or less the way scuba divers would use their flippers.

“What do you think it wants?” asked Kellik, sounding more interested than afraid, even though she, like the others, was quivering slightly, tense and ready to flee to the safety of the TARDIS if the need arose.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” admitted Ianto.

Auber studied the approaching monster warily. “Perhaps it would be prudent to move further away from the water.”

“Hmm, good idea,” agreed Ianto, “let’s do that.” He ushered everyone back up the beach to the high tide mark, which would hopefully be beyond the creature’s reach. “The TARDIS doesn’t believe it’s hostile, but that doesn’t mean we can be certain it wouldn’t try to eat us, given the opportunity. On the other hand, it might just be curious about what we are. I don’t suppose many people come here.”

Cruising to a halt, still a good ten metres from the shore, the huge beast stretched out its necks and regarded them curiously with small, reddish eyes.

“You are not the Doctor.” The voice was deep and booming, conjuring images in Ianto’s mind of deep caverns carved into towering sea cliffs by the endless pounding of the waves. He was so lost in his imaginings that it took him a moment to register what had been said.

“The Doctor? No, no I’m not. Sorry. Were you expecting him?”

“Always,” came the reply. “It has been long since last he came.”

Ianto wracked his brains, trying to come up with a suitable response, but in the end it wasn’t necessary as the strange sea creature continued speaking.

“You are not Time Lord, nor are you Oomin.”

“No, not… Umm, Oomin? Oh, do you mean human? No, I am, or I was, but…” He struggled to find a way to explain before giving up and simply shrugging. “It’s complicated.”

“Yes.” The sea monster, or whatever it was, seemed to study them with its sensors. “You are different species.”

“That’s right,” Ianto confirmed, shoving his hands in his trouser pockets. “What gave it away?” He almost winced at his own flippancy. He’d never even met the Doctor, but from listening to all Jack’s stories of the Time Lord, he suspected he was acting just like him. The creature, however, took his question seriously.

“The shape of your ears.”

“Ah, well spotted.” The Tallans had rounded, furry ears on top of their heads, like a bear’s. Apparently, that was a more significant difference than the fact that they were furry all over and he wasn’t. He mentally berated himself for expecting such an alien being to look at things from a human perspective. That was a habit he’d need to break himself of quickly if he wanted to survive out here. The first thing he’d learned at Torchwood Three was not to ascribe human motivations to aliens. Apparently he hadn’t learned that lesson as well as he’d thought. “I’m Ianto Jones, these are my friends and travelling companions.” He introduced them all to their new acquaintance.

“How do you tell them apart?” It didn’t wait for an answer. “Never mind. I am named…” It made a loud, roaring sound, like gravel in a blender on high speed. There’d be no way either human or Tallan could reproduce that! “However, the Doctor calls me Norman.”

“Oh, right, nice to meet you. You don’t mind if we call you Norman then?”

“That would be acceptable.”

“Thank you. We were just passing and thought we’d stop for a little while; my friends had never seen an ocean. This is a very beautiful place you have here.”

Norman looked around. “Is it? I had not noticed.” He turned his attention back to Ianto. “It does not compare with what lies beneath the water’s surface.”

There wasn’t really anything Ianto could say to that, not having seen Norman’s underwater world.

“I expect land dwellers view such things differently,” Norman continued thoughtfully.

“That seems likely,” Ianto agreed.

“You have seen many worlds?”

“Uh, not yet, I only recently started exploring. I’ve seen a lot of spaceports, but not much else.”

“Spaceports, I do not know.”

“No, I suppose you wouldn’t. They’re not really designed for water dwellers.”

“Few things are, but then we water dwellers have few material needs, so it is of no matter. It was pleasant meeting you. If you should encounter the Doctor, relay my greetings, if you would.”

“Certainly, I’ll do that. Nice meeting you too.”

Norman nodded. “Good day. Enjoy your visit.”

“Thank you, I’m sure we will,” Ianto replied as Norman’s long necks submerged once more beneath the surface, gentle ripples the only sign of his presence as he swam back out into deeper water.

Ianto sat down on the sand. “Well, that was interesting. I think.” In his head, he added, “Is there anyone who doesn’t know the Doctor?”

“I do not have that information,” the TARDIS replied.

“That’s okay. I’m not sure I want to know the answer anyway.” 

Excitement over for the moment, Ianto pushed himself back to his feet and dusted off his trousers, deciding they should all make the most of their time in this idyllic spot while they had the chance. Hopefully there wouldn’t be any more strange interruptions. As much as he liked meeting new… people, one per day was quite enough when they looked like that.

“Alright guys, why don’t we have some fun?” he called out cheerfully. “There’s a traditional earth pastime I think you might enjoy!” And so, after collecting buckets and spades from the TARDIS, he set about teaching the Tallans how to build sandcastles. 

After all, what else are people supposed to do on a day at the beach?

 

TBC in Chapter 13


	13. Making New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto and the Tallans encounter some of the planet’s inhabitants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Challenge #107: Burn at fan_flashworks.

Ianto winced. Apparently, being immortal didn’t mean he couldn’t get sunburn; he really should have thought of that before getting changed for his day on the beach. Jeans and a t-shirt had been fine, and he’d soon dispensed with the trainers he’d been wearing once he’d settled down to the task of building sandcastles, but taking the t-shirt off hadn’t been the smartest thing to do. Now he looked like a cooked lobster.

His neck, ears, back, shoulders and arms were red and sore, and he really wished Jack was here to apply soothing lotion. He already knew he wouldn’t be able to reach the worst affected areas, even if he had such a thing as after-sun lotion available, which of course he didn’t.

“You are in pain.” The TARDIS sounded concerned and sympathetic in his mind.

“Yeah, but it’s my own fault,” he replied. “I should have been more careful. I know I burn easily, the curse of pale Welsh skin, but I just didn’t think.” He attempted to look at his raw back in the full-length mirror in his room, but trying to twist himself to see just made it hurt more.

“If you would go up to the medical bay, I will provide a preparation to take away your discomfort.”

”Thank you, that would be very welcome,” Ianto sighed. He slipped a light robe on over his underwear and made his way, barefoot, up to the console room and then along the corridor leading to the re-modelled medical suite. 

It was a far more pleasant place to be now than when he’d first seen it. There was a padded treatment table in the middle of the room, with blocky white equipment modules alongside it and scanners above. Ianto looked around for the ‘preparation’, expecting some sort of pain-relief medication, but there was nothing visible.

“Okay, I’m here.”

“Remove your clothing and stand on the lighted area,” the TARDIS instructed.

“Uh, take my clothes off?”

“Of course. The preparation must be applied directly to the skin. It will heal the damage caused by exposure to too much sunlight,” he was informed. An area of the floor beside the equipment modules lit up and something that looked a bit like a cross between a showerhead and a reading lamp extended from the nearest one.

With a shrug and a wince, Ianto slipped his robe off and draped it over the treatment bench, then slipped his boxer shorts off and placed them, neatly folded, on top. Stepping onto the lighted circle, he waited.

“What now?” 

“Hold your arms out from your sides, please.”

Ianto did as asked. “Like this?”

“Yes. Now please close your eyes and mouth, hold your breath and remain still.”

Following the instructions, Ianto took a deep breath and managed not to move, despite the fine spray that hit him full in the face with no warning. It moved around to one side of his head and then the other, coating his head and ears with a cool mist before moving lower to treat his neck and shoulders.

“You may breathe normally now,” the TARDIS told him cheerfully as the spray continued to move over his body, seeming to wash away the pain as it went. 

When every millimetre of his skin, including the soles of his feet, had been doused with the soothing substance, he was told to remain where he was for a few minutes, in order for it to be properly absorbed. By the time the TARDIS gave him permission to put his clothes back on, he was tingling pleasantly all over.

“That feels so much better! Thank you. What is that stuff?”

“It consists of an analgesic, compounds that restore lost moisture, and all the minerals required to keep human skin healthy and supple. I also took the liberty of adding substances that will block harmful ultraviolet radiation, so you will be protected if you wish to return to the beach and the Tallans.”

“Yes, I think I should probably do that.”

When he’d realised he was getting sunburnt, Ianto had left his travelling companions playing in the sun, hoping that a cool shower would help ease his discomfort. By now, they were probably wondering where he’d got to; he really should rejoin them before they started to worry. He jogged back down to his room, slipped back into jeans and t-shirt, and then stopped by the kitchen to collect an assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables, suitable beverages and some cooking utensils. Perhaps it would be possible for them to build a campfire on the beach and cook dinner the Tallan way.

Loaded with provisions, he made his way back out of the TARDIS and down towards the beach again, setting his burden down in the shade of a tree. The suns were still some way from setting, but it was clearly getting on towards this planet’s evening. 

“How long are days here?” Ianto asked in his head.

“Approximately twenty nine and one quarter earth hours,” the TARDIS replied. “The suns will sink below the horizon in four hours and forty three minutes.”

“Still plenty of daylight left then,” Ianto smiled. “Time enough to gather driftwood and find a suitable spot to build a campfire.”

“The tide is coming in, you would do best to build your fire well above the high tide mark, in case Norman should return.”

“Good point. Any suggestions?”

“There is an area of sand and flat rocks about a quarter of a mile to your right which should suit your purposes. It is protected by dunes on two sides and far enough from vegetation that there will be no risk of anything catching fire from stray sparks.”

“Sounds perfect.” Walking out onto the sand, he waved to the Tallans. “Hey, guys, I thought we could camp outside tonight. The TARDIS says there’s a good spot just along the beach.”

“A night beneath the stars would be pleasant indeed,” Auber agreed, joining him, “even though the stars are unlikely to be the ones that grace the sky above Talla.”

With Auber’s assistance, Ianto carried the baskets of food, cooking pans, water and fruit juice along the beach to the place chosen as their campsite. Ianto brushed sand off a broad, flattish rock, one of several that dotted the sand there.

“We can build our campfire here and stack our spare firewood out of the way behind those rocks,” he explained, pointing to a group of weatherworn boulders a few metres away.

Auber nodded and called to the younger Tallans, sending them off to gather driftwood and suitable kindling. Before long, they were back with their first load of dead branches, dry grass, and twigs. Never had they looked more like the Wombles, gathering nature’s ‘rubbish’. By the time the sun was reaching the horizon, far out across the water, Ianto had a good fire going. The driftwood burned merrily, greenish yellow flames tinged with turquoise flickering in the deepening dusk, while a plentiful supply of fuel to keep it burning throughout the night had been stacked behind the rocks.

While Ianto went back to the TARDIS to fetch dishes, cups and cutlery, Auber and Kellik set to work preparing a traditional Tallan vegetable soup to be eaten with the crusty bread rolls from Ianto’s baskets. The other three busied themselves smoothing out the sand around the fire, and unrolling the sleep mats and blankets that the TARDIS had provided for their bedding.

Soon the air was filled with the delicious scent of hot soup. While the vegetables weren’t exactly what the Tallans were accustomed to on their homeworld, they were similar enough that they could be prepared and cooked using traditional methods and the little band of aliens found their flavours unusual but pleasant. They’d developed a particular fondness for broccoli and hoped that if they made it back to Talla, they might be able to cultivate it, along with some of the other earth vegetables. Perhaps something beneficial could come of their time out among the stars after all; returning with such bounty would help to heal the pain and sorrow their absence must surely have caused.

There was more than enough soup and bread to go around and they chatted companionably as they ate their fill, passing food around the circle. Ianto picked up an empty bowl, refilled it and passed it to his left without looking.

“Gratitude,” a squeaky voice said.

Frowning, Ianto turned to look. A small, blue furred creature sat between him and Kellik, twitching nose buried in the bowl of soup. Feeling his stare, it looked up at him, nose wiggling.

“Nice food! Warm fire! Much gratitude!” 

It went back to eating and Ianto looked around the circle. Several more of the furry blue things were seated around the campfire, a couple already eating while the others patiently awaited their turn. Making a quick head count, Ianto came to the conclusion that they had thirteen uninvited guests. Good thing he wasn’t superstitious. Reaching for another empty bowl, he ladled soup into it and passed it to one of the waiting strangers. It bowed slightly.

“Gratitude.”

They were certainly polite, whatever they were.

“You’re welcome.”

Becoming aware that they were no longer alone, the Tallans followed Ianto’s example; as soon as they finished eating, they served their guests, until all had eaten.

Ianto studied the one beside him; it reminded him of some of the desert-dwelling rodents he’d seen on nature documentaries. The large eyes suggested they were nocturnal, which explained why he and his friends had spent the entire afternoon on the beach without seeing any sign of them. They were about two feet tall and sat on their haunches like squirrels, holding the bowls of soup in delicate, slender-fingered hands. Long, bushy tails strengthened their resemblance to squirrels, but the long hind legs were more like those of jerboas and related species. Sleek but dense sky blue fur covered their bodies, protection against the cooler temperatures of a desert island night.

“So,” Ianto ventured when, having finished eating, the small creature set its dish to one side. “Who might you be?”

“We be Denghi, this our home.”

“Oh, are we camping on your land?”

“Not own, live there.” It pointed to the dunes. “Under,” it added, just to make sure he understood.

“You live in burrows? Tunnels?”

“Many tunnels, under,” it agreed. “Come out nights, find food; roots, fruits, nuts, seeds. This season not find much. Search all dark, eat raw, not cook often. Fire hard to make.” It gestured at their campfire. “This very nice fire, good food. Kind folk, share food. Gratitude.”

“Well, we’re glad we could help you.” Looking at them, they did look like food had been scarce recently. “Is food often hard to find here?”

“Other seasons, lot of food; this season, not so much. Suns too hot, rains not come. Hard times. Rains come, eat well, store food. Rains go, food stores not last. Until rains, we hungry. Rains not come long and long, this bad time, many moons.” It shook its head solemnly then looked up at Ianto and bared its teeth. “Not hungry now! We go, gather food, save for next dark. Busy busy!” With that, the small creature rose to its hind legs, its fellows following suit. They bowed in unison, with a cry of “Gratitude,” then turned and bounded away to continue their search for food to sustain them until the rainy season began.

“Certainly are some interesting people around here,” Ianto commented to his companions.

“Their lives must be hard in the dry season,” Auber said quietly. “Forever searching for food but never finding enough. Even so, they were not greedy, they shared what we gave them, but took nothing they were not given.”

“We can leave them nuts and seeds, foods that can be stored, and some fresh fruits and vegetables they can eat right away. That should help them get through this dry season at least. Payment for letting us camp on their doorstep,” Ianto decided. “I’m going to take a walk back to the TARDIS. I won’t be gone long.”

Auber nodded, sensing his friend wished to be alone for a while. “I will wait up until you return, perhaps we might have a nightcap before we sleep.”

Ianto nodded. “I’ll bring the vodka back with me.” He’d picked up several bottles of high quality vodka, smuggled off earth by some enterprising black-marketeers, at one of the shady back-alley markets he’d visited. It was the closest thing he’d been able to find to the alcoholic beverages the Tallans made from a potato-like tuber on their planet and Auber had acquired quite a taste for it, though he only ever had one glass.

Hands in his pockets, Ianto made his way back along the moonlit beach to where the TARDIS sat. Several times, he spotted Denghi busily foraging, putting whatever morsels they found into large seashells. They looked awkward to carry and too shallow to hold a lot, bits kept falling out, so he determined to ask the TARDIS to come up with something more practical they could use. She must have picked up on his surface thoughts because she spoke in his mind.

“I believe small duffel bags would be most suitable. I will have some ready for when you arrive.”

“Thank you. Looks like these guys have a tough life; anything we can do to make collecting food a bit easier for them will improve their chances.”

He stopped for a while, just watching the gentle wavelets lapping the shore. Everything looked silver in the moonlight and all was quiet aside from the soft sounds of the water and the rustling of leaves. As they so often did, Ianto’s thoughts soon turned to Jack, wondering where he was and what he was doing. He couldn’t help worrying about his lover; he knew that Jack always blamed himself for everything when things went wrong, even when there was nothing he could have done. He weighed himself down with undeserved guilt and Ianto wished he could be there to ease the burden.

“I will find you, Jack, someday. I promise.” His eyes burned with unshed tears and he rubbed at them absently, chiding himself. He was doing all he could to find his lost lover; getting depressed about it wasn’t going to help anyone. He missed Jack constantly, but he always felt his absence more keenly at times like this, when he was seeing something wonderful and Jack wasn’t there to share it with him. “Good night, Cariad, wherever you are,” he whispered as he turned to enter the TARDIS. “Sweet dreams.”

Half an hour later, laden with a flask of vodka, two glasses, a bundle of small bags made of a very durable weatherproof fabric, and an assortment of dried foodstuffs in small but sturdy storage boxes, he wandered back into the campsite. Setting everything down on the sand, he sat cross-legged on his sleeping mat and poured a measure of the potent spirits into each glass, handing one to Auber and keeping the other for himself. They sat in silence, sipping slowly, appreciating the burn of the alcohol in their throats and stomachs. It wasn’t cold out even now, although it was noticeably cooler since the suns had set, but even so the warming glow that infused them from the drink was pleasant.

The four youngsters were already asleep and as soon as he’d finished his glass, Auber joined them, settling down comfortably on his mat and closing his eyes. 

Ianto remained sitting and thinking for a while longer before coming to a decision. Quietly rising to his feet and gathering up the new bags, he set out in search of the Denghi, relying on his TARDIS to guide him. To each one he located, he gave a bag and an invitation to visit the camp and take breakfast with him and his companions before returning to their burrows. The Denghi were delighted with their new bags, immediately putting their treasured shells - which also served them as cooking pots and drinking vessels – inside, along with what food they’d managed to collect. None of them had found much, but they were all in good spirits as a result of their earlier meal and full of gratitude for the kindness of the strangers.

Slipping back into camp some time later, Ianto threw some more wood on the campfire and stretched out on his mat, pulling the light blanket over him. The air was completely still as if the universe was holding its breath, and he lay on his back, staring up at the stars that peppered the night sky, remembering long ago camping trips with his parents and sister, and the later ones with Lisa. 

It surprised him to realise this was the first time he’d thought about her since his resurrection, all of his waking thoughts since then having been focussed either on Jack or his TARDIS, until he’d rescued his Space Womble friends. They’d broken through the haze of self-involvement that had clogged his mind, freeing his thoughts. That was good; it wasn’t healthy to dwell so much on what he’d lost and on the man he missed. He needed to get on with his life; he couldn’t wait until he finally crossed paths with Jack to start living again. That would be a waste. Still musing over how best to go about carrying out his new plan of living in the moment, Ianto drifted off to sleep, lulled by the soft susurrus of waves on sand.

 

OoOoOoO

 

The TARDIS was better by far than any alarm clock he’d ever owned, gently waking him by singing in his mind, just as the first fingers of dawn light started to brush away the dark of night. He opened his eyes to a world shrouded in a veil of mist that drifted and eddied in the soft morning breeze coming in off the water; it was thick enough that his companions were visible only as dark lumps arrayed around the campfire. Rising, Ianto stirred the embers and added more kindling, getting the fire burning well before adding larger branches. The crackling of the flames woke the Tallans and they sat up, stretching and scratching, blinking their eyes in the firelight.

Leaving the Tallans to wake properly at their own pace, Ianto made the short trek back to the TARDIS to freshen up and fetch a selection of fresh fruits for breakfast. The sky was gradually growing lighter and despite the mist that still swirled around him, finding his way was no problem, he just had to keep the sea to his right and the dunes to his left. After a quick shower and change of clothes, he set off along the beach once more, a basket of fruit, rice cakes, and flasks of fresh coffee in each hand. Halfway back to their camp, he met the others heading in the opposite direction carrying the rolled-up bedding, and he waved, calling out a greeting which was cheerily returned. 

Setting the baskets beside the blazing fire, Ianto unpacked them and looked over the other items he’d brought back with him the previous night. Airtight, waterproof plastic boxes filled with nuts, seeds and dried fruits, a couple of dozen spare duffel bags, bottles of water and some small shovels to help the Denghi dig for roots and tubers. He was just setting out bowls of fruit when the first few Denghi emerged from the mist, their blue fur bejewelled with drops of moisture; Ianto thought his hair probably looked the same.

“Welcome,” he called out to them as they approached.

“Greetings,” they replied in a chorus of squeaky voices as they arranged themselves in a neat semi-circle near the fire, holding their tiny hands out to the heat of the flames. “Warm!”

The rest of the Denghi arrived with the Tallans, having joined up with the much taller aliens as they’d made their way back from the TARDIS. Everyone found a place around the fire and Ianto set about the familiar task of feeding a hungry horde. It brought back memories of meals at the Hub, when the whole team had been present and clamouring to be fed. On the whole, he decided, Denghi and Tallans alike had much better manners. He wondered what that said about humans as a species.

There were more than twice as many Denghi as there had been the night before, including several smaller ones who were clearly youngsters. When asked, one of the adults told him that this was all the Denghi who lived on the island.

“We bring all, show gratitude to good folk. Young will get strong.” It looked lovingly at the juvenile Denghi by its side; like the adults, it obviously hadn’t been getting enough to eat recently.

“Do other Denghi live on other islands?” Ianto asked curiously.

Tufted blue ears pricked up. “Not know, only know our place. Out there,” it pointed out to sea, “deep water; not cross.”

Denghi, Tallans and human sat by the fire, talking and eating as the sky grew lighter and when they’d all eaten their fill, Ianto addressed the natives.

“We must leave today, we have a very long journey ahead of us, a lot of places to go and much to see.”

“Sad,” chorused the Denghi. “Good folks be missed.”

“Thank you, we’ll miss you too, it’s been nice meeting you.” Ianto gestured to the pile of boxes and other items by his side. “These are gifts for you, food and tools to help you get through the dry season until the rains come again.”

The Denghi clustered around him, exclaiming in wonder and thankfulness. 

“Gratitude! All will live to see rains come! Gratitude!”

Ianto wondered what the Doctor would think of his actions, providing food for one small band of aliens to ensure their survival. The TARDIS informed him that it was likely to be getting on for two hundred of the planet’s days before the rainy season began again in this hemisphere; this was a particularly dry year. 

That news really got Ianto thinking. Would it be practical to drop supplies off for other colonies on other islands? Were any of the other islands even inhabited? Many were too small to sustain any kind of land-dwelling population, Denghi or otherwise, and other islands were uninhabitable because they were either too close to the equator where rain almost never fell and there was no fresh water at all, or too close to the poles where it was too cold. Other islands were in more temperate regions where they got plenty of rainfall and lush vegetation flourished. There were apparently only four other islands comparable in size to this one that might house populations of Denghi struggling to survive this unusually long and harsh dry season. It wouldn’t be a big task to visit them, check to see if they were inhabited and provide supplies, so that was what he planned to do before leaving the planet. The Tallans were in full agreement; they were as taken with the little natives as Ianto was.

As the slowly rising suns burned away the last of the morning mist, the Denghi said their farewells and drifted back to their burrows to escape the heat of the day, taking with them the gifts they’d been given. Once they had all vanished from sight, Ianto turned back to the fire and made certain it was thoroughly extinguished, not even the tiniest ember left burning. The last thing this island’s inhabitants needed was to be wiped out by fire. That task completed, he and his alien friends gathered up the last of their equipment and made their way back to the TARDIS; they had a rescue mission to carry out. 

Having something to do besides their own personal quests imbued them all with a greater sense of purpose. They couldn’t know how long it would take them to find what they were seeking, but they all agreed that the time could be put to good use by helping others along the way. A thought crossed Ianto’s mind, making him chuckle.

“What is amusing?” asked Auber, wrinkling his nose up in a Tallan smile.

“I was just thinking, we’re like Robin Hood and his Merrie band!” Ianto replied. 

As the TARDIS made her way to the next island, where they would await nightfall while she processed elementary particles from the atmosphere and the planet itself into tools and supplies for the Denghi, Ianto gathered his own merry band around him. Settling cross-legged on the floor with the Tallans seated in a semi-circle in front of him, he began to recount the legend of Robin Hood to his avid audience.

 

TBC in Chapter 14


	14. Memories & Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They’re far apart, but still Ianto and Jack think about each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Challenge #117: Amnesty at fan_flashworks, using Challenge # 86: Health & Fitness. 
> 
> **Spoilers:** CoE, House of the Dead.

A few days had passed since Ianto, his TARDIS, and their travelling companions had left the planet of the Denghi. Their rescue mission had been a great success, distributing supplies to small bands of the natives on the four other inhabited islands. It had felt good to be doing something useful instead of just drifting aimlessly; the Denghi had been deeply grateful for their kindness and generosity. Ianto and the Tallans had grown fond of the charming, friendly little beings and would no doubt miss them a great deal.

Carrying the plan through to completion had left Ianto fired up and full of enthusiasm, but it was a feeling that didn’t last very long after they headed back out into the vastness of space. It was all very well to make the decision to help others as he and the Tallans continued with their own quests, but finding people who needed their help was proving harder than it had initially sounded. 

It crossed Ianto’s mind to wonder just how the Doctor managed it. Did he and his TARDIS just have some kind of innate sense that allowed them to show up where help was needed, some sort of trouble detector? If Jack’s stories about the Time Lord were to be believed, it seemed possible. Either that or trouble had developed a habit of finding him. Come to think of it, that sounded like a more plausible theory.

For Ianto and his TARDIS, the search for those in need of help was somewhat different. Out of necessity, they were following a very specific search pattern, checking out planets and space stations as they worked their way outwards from their starting point in an ever-widening sphere. It required a lot of jumping about, but the TARDIS was better equipped for that than any other spaceship in existence, so it wasn’t a problem.

Of course, in practical terms, it meant they could only stumble across people in trouble by chance rather than by design. Even then, they probably missed a lot just by failing to be in the right place at exactly the right time to be of any assistance. They were going to have to work on that.

At a loose end as they headed for their next port of call, Ianto made his way to the gym to work out.

He’d been in pretty good shape when he’d… died. Ianto shook his head; that was never not going to sound weird in his head. Nor was the idea that Syriath had recreated his body perfectly, right down to his scars. Still, it meant that his ‘factory setting’ as it were, was a healthy, fit body with good teeth and pretty good eyesight; apparently even beings of pure evil like Syriath had standards. 

Despite the fact that dying would return him to peak condition, he had no intention of relying on the death and revival cycle to help him stay that way; death was always going to be his last resort. He’d seen Jack die and come back often enough to know how unpleasant it was and he wasn’t in any hurry to experience it firsthand. Besides, he’d discovered over the last few months that he enjoyed having the opportunity to work out using top-of-the-line gym equipment. The TARDIS had helped by becoming his personal trainer and developing tailor-made workout routines to suit his needs. Strength, speed, flexibility and fast reflexes were the key to survival in the kinds of places he tended to frequent in his search for Jack; he needed to be ready for anything.

Changed into suitable workout attire, which he now kept in the gym’s small locker room, he stepped out into the gym itself and started his warm-up exercises, bending and stretching to get his muscles loosened up in preparation for the rigours of a full workout.

As he started doing chin-ups on the bar, he let his mind wander, wondering where Jack was and what he was doing.

 

OoOoOoOoO

 

Aboard the Fiori Winnik, Jack sat in the Captain’s office, talking with Lukek.

“I’m deeply grateful for all you’ve done for me, Lukek, your kindness and hospitality have been a blessing.”

“Your presence aboard my ship has been a great honour, esteemed Jack. You are as family; I only wish there were some way I could ease the burden that weighs down your heart.”

“Thank you, old friend, but my grief is something I deserve to be burdened with. I will not set it aside until I have redeemed myself for failing the people who meant the most to me, and I’m not at all sure redemption is even possible. Still, I must try; it’s the very least that I owe my daughter and grandson, and Ianto would expect no less of me.”

“To have earned such devotion from you, they must indeed have been special people.”

“They were the best. Now Ianto and Stephen are gone, and Alice has good reason to curse my existence. I can’t blame her for hating me; I took her child from her and destroyed her world. There’s no way I can make amends for what I cost her; the only thing I can do is to help others whenever possible. The time for wallowing in my grief is coming to an end; I will carry their memory and the pain of their loss wherever I travel, but I can no longer allow myself the luxury of remaining idle. Redemption cannot be earned by doing nothing.”

“This is truth,” Lukek agreed. “Your absence will leave an empty room in our hearts, but if it is time for you to leave, then leave you must. We will dock at Paramian in five days to unload cargo. It is a busy port; you will have no difficulty finding passage to wherever you wish to go.”

Jack nodded. “We shall part ways in five days then.” Rising to his feet, he clasped his hands beneath his chin and bowed slightly. “Now I must return to my cabin and make preparations for my departure.”

Lukek stood too, bowing in turn and tugging his ears, the Macassian way of expressing regret. Jack didn’t know what Lukek could possibly have to regret, and to be honest, he couldn’t bring himself to care; he had more than enough regrets of his own. Leaving the cluttered little office, he made his way back to the Spartan cabin that had been his home for the last few months and for the first time since he’d boarded, he uncovered the mirror in the tiny bathroom and studied his appearance.

Ianto would have been appalled. Jack knew he’d been letting himself go to seed, but he looked far worse than he’d been expecting. Lack of sleep combined with drinking too much and eating far too little had left him gaunt and stooped, with bloodshot eyes and blotchy skin; in short, he was a wreck. Even so, his outward appearance wasn’t an accurate representation of the wasteland that existed within. Grief, despair, depression, self-loathing, hopelessness; his inner landscape was uglier by far than his outer shell.

Getting back into shape would be simple; all he’d have to do was kill himself and he’d be in perfect health in next to no time. But no, he wouldn’t take the easy way out. He got this way through punishing himself with self-neglect; now if he were to have any chance of redeeming himself for his failures, he’d first have to rebuild himself the hard way. For a start, there’d be no more alcohol, no more escaping from reality. Drunk, he’d be no use to anyone.

Stepping into the sonic shower, he adjusted it to its strongest setting and let it scour his body thoroughly; it wasn’t a painful process, but it wasn’t exactly pleasant either. By the time he considered himself sufficiently cleansed, his skin was tingling and hypersensitive. 

For the moment, he didn’t bother with fresh clothes, instead choosing to remain naked while he exercised. He pushed himself to his limits, finally sinking, exhausted, onto his bunk. Time to sleep; when he woke he would eat, exercise, and shower again. He had five days to get himself back into good enough condition to sign on as crew with another ship. Lukek would supply him with the necessary papers, but even so, whichever ship hired him on, he’d probably only be considered for unskilled jobs such as loading cargo. That suited him just fine; the heavy manual labour would go a long way towards rebuilding his strength and stamina.

How many souls, he wondered, would he have to save to make up for all those whose lives had been lost prematurely because they’d trusted him?

“You deserved so much better, Ianto, but I’ll keep trying until I’m worthy of the faith you had in me, and I’ll never forget you. I’ll keep my promise, count on it.”

As Jack closed his eyes to sleep, he prayed this night he would see his Ianto in his dreams.

Chapter 15


	15. Chance Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto and his TARDIS stumble across someone in need of assistance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written For: Challenge #118: Wager at fan_flashworks. This is one of the longest chapters, and one of my favourite.
> 
> **Spoilers:** CoE, House of the Dead.

Another spaceport on another world; Ianto had lost count of how many they’d visited, though he was sure the TARDIS knew exactly. The number wasn’t important though, what mattered was that he’d still found no trace of Jack. He kept telling himself it was only a matter of time before they struck lucky, but some days it was hard to remain optimistic. The universe was a very big place.

The back alley market he strolled into could have been the same one he’d visited on countless other space stations and planets. The beings that plied their wares from ramshackle stalls were the same mix of pirates, smugglers, weapons dealers and assorted rogues that he’d encountered everywhere he’d gone. Many were even known to him and he’d nod in greeting or bump fists with those he knew well enough to call friends. 

None of them knew him by his real name; out here he called himself Des, short for Desmond Llewellyn, everyone’s favourite Q. He’d chosen the name in a fit of whimsy, partly because Q was his favourite character after Bond, but also because it was a name Jack would recognise if he heard it. It had seemed prudent to use an alias, even though away from earth no one was likely to have heard of Ianto Jones. He wanted to keep the two halves of his life separate; adopting a different name when dealing with the shady characters he encountered while searching for Jack allowed him to do so. 

Many of his acquaintances were okay people, considering their professions, and they had their own strict code of honour; in some ways, they were more honourable than the supposedly respectable traders he’d met during his brief forays into the officially sanctioned marketplaces. But among the rogues and petty criminals, the devil-may-care buccaneers and the salvage merchants who usually made up the black market traders and their clientele, there was a sub-set of hard-core criminals, murderers and assassins, dealers in hard dugs and prohibited technology, the kinds of people it would be a bad idea to cross. Ianto Jones would have stood out like a sore thumb, but Des fit in just fine. If they all assumed he was a freelance smuggler and part-time gun for hire, so much the better. He’d let the rumours spread that bodyguard work was his speciality, making sure that deals went smoothly and no one tried to cheat or kill his clients. He’d even been hired a few times and was gaining a reputation for reliability.

The man who approached him as he moved among the stalls asking questions and browsing the goods on offer was unfamiliar. He was shabby and malnourished, clearly down on his luck, and his face bore a haunted, hunted expression. Yet despite his appearance, there was something about him that told Ianto he didn’t belong down among the lowlifes.

He sidled up to Ianto, glancing around apprehensively. “Rumour has it, you’re a gambling man.” That was true, after a fashion; a lot of gambling went on in these places, it was all part and parcel of making deals. The people would bet on pretty much anything and Ianto had found it necessary to participate in order to fit in and assuage suspicions. Luckily, he had an ace up his sleeve in the form of his TARDIS, who was able to advise him and stack the odds in his favour. If it served his purpose to win, he won; if losing was necessary, he lost, usually taking his losses with good-natured grumbling about the results of the wager being fixed. It was expected, and the winner would generally laugh and offer a re-match.

Ianto eyed the man thoughtfully; his words had sounded rehearsed and he was clearly nervous.

“Rumour has it right; I’ve been known to make the odd wager, if the stakes are right. But I don’t make bets with just anybody. I don’t know you, what makes you think I’d accept your wager?”

“You’re human, like me.”

That was true; seeing a fellow human was unusual, they weren’t all that common in space at this time, since earth had yet to develop interstellar space travel, and Ianto had only encountered a handful.

“So?”

“I have this.” He dug in his pocket and pulled out an old-fashioned fob watch, a plain, unadorned, but strikingly handsome antique piece made of rose gold. “It’s from Earth.” The man held it carefully, almost reverently; it clearly meant a great deal to him.

“Earth is out of bounds, thanks to the Shadow Proclamation giving it Prohibited status,” Ianto commented mildly as he took the timepiece from the other man and studied it. “Not much makes it off-world. How’d you get hold of this?”

“It’s been in my family a long time.” The other man never took his eyes off the watch, his fingers twitching as if he desperately wanted to snatch his property back.

So it was a family heirloom; that explained the tender handling. Ianto idly turned it over in his fingers, letting the light catch it. “What is it?”

“An old device for measuring time.”

“Huh. Probably set up for its planet of origin; wouldn’t be much use out here, and anyway, I’m not in the business of trading in trinkets.”

“It’s made of gold, very high quality.” Ianto already knew that: 18 karat, unless he missed his guess. It would be quite valuable back on earth. “Even out here, it must be worth something.” There was a pleading note in the man’s voice.

Weighing it in his hand, Ianto shrugged casually. “It could have some value as scrap metal I guess.” The man winced visibly. “Suppose I was interested in wagering for this…” he dangled the watch by its chain, “what would I be putting up as my stake?”

“If you win, you get the… gold. If I win, you provide passage away from here for me… and my family.”

Ah, now there it was. Poor guy was ready to gamble everything he had just on the slim chance of getting his family off this station. There was a story there, but now wasn’t the time to hear it.

Ianto laughed. “Passengers cost money, you’d have to put up a far richer stake to make that kind of wager worth my while. There more where this came from?”

The man should his head. “That’s all I have.” Ianto was pretty sure he meant it literally.

“Then do yourself a favour; take your pretty bauble and stop wasting my time.” Ianto pulled open the breast pocket of the man’s tattered overalls with the tip of one finger and dropped the watch into it, along with a microscopic tracking chip. ‘See where he goes and guide me,’ he told the TARDIS silently. “Get out of here.” He turned away to browse the contents of a nearby stall, acutely aware of the distraught man still standing where he’d left him. As he started to bargain for a damaged short-range scanner, his TARDIS reported that the man was leaving the marketplace.

‘He appears very upset.’

‘Wouldn’t you be? He’s desperate and his last hope just shot him down. Can you tell if anyone is following him?’

‘It appears not; so far at least.’

After a few more minutes haggling, Ianto got the scanner for half the original asking price, with a rather nice laser knife thrown in to sweeten the deal. Slipping his purchases into the battered canvas rucksack he carried, Ianto adjusted his wide-brimmed hat and set out in the opposite direction to his quarry. Following the TARDIS’s directions he arrived by a rather circuitous route at a point ahead of the man and concealed himself in the shadowy mouth of an alleyway. As the man stumbled past, head bowed and shoulders hunched, oblivious to his surroundings, Ianto slipped out of his hiding place and followed at a distance, watching as he entered one of the many rickety shacks that made up a kind of shantytown inside one of the sector’s derelict warehouses. There was no one else in sight and the whole place gave off an air of disuse.

‘There are three other people inside the hut,’ his TARDIS informed him.

‘His family, I’d wager.’

‘You are most likely correct. Readings indicate two women and a child. A fifth life sign appears to be an animal.’

‘Huh. I wasn’t bargaining on pets. I hope it doesn’t shed.’

Striding across the open space, he flipped aside the ragged burlap curtain that served as a door and stepped through. Four heads turned towards him, eyes wide and afraid; the man immediately stepped between Ianto and his family, as if he could protect them from any danger the intruder might present. There was no way out of the hovel other than by the door Ianto was currently blocking. He shook his head, incredulous.

“How have you managed not to get yourself killed? You’re seriously bad at this.”

The man pulled himself upright and faced Ianto with as much courage and dignity as he could muster. “Have you come to take my great grandfather’s watch?”

Ianto shook his head. “If I’d wanted to steal your property, I would’ve done it back there at the market. No one would’ve tried to stop me, or even paid any attention. People like you walk into a place like that, you’re just asking to be robbed blind, and possibly killed into the bargain. Then what would your family have done?” he nodded past the man at the three people huddled behind him. “They’d be left fending for themselves with no protection and no assets. You really didn’t think this through, did you?”

The small family stared at him in confusion. Ianto sighed, took off his hat, and sat down cross-legged on the floor. “I have my own reasons for being here; my name is Ianto Jones, I’m searching for a friend of mine who’s missing. I’ve been searching for… well, quite a while, and I’ve learned how to blend in. I couldn’t talk to you back there without blowing my cover. They think I’m one of them, a smuggler, a gun for hire, but I’m not. I might be able to help you, but I don’t know if I can trust you, so first you’ll have to convince me.” He looked at the small group of humans expectantly. “Who are you, and how did you end up here?”

“Why should we trust you?” To Ianto’s surprise, it wasn’t the man who spoke but the elder of the two women, grey haired and looking to be in her mid-sixties. From the resemblance between her and the younger woman, they were mother and daughter.

“I honestly don’t know. You certainly have no reason to. On the other hand, who else are you going to trust? You seem to be stuck here with no means of getting away, no money to pay for passage. I have a spaceship, with enough room on board for the four of you, and just what is that?”

The family’s pet had crept out into the open and was looking at him. It sort of resembled a dachshund, if you were to stretch one to about four feet in length and add three extra pairs of legs, a fox’s tail, and the head of a lion, complete with mane. It was also a rather alarming shade of pink.

“That’s Henty, my Quoat,” a small voice piped up and a freckled face peeped out from behind her mother.

“Surilla, be still,” her father admonished.

“But he asked!” the girl protested. She looked to be about seven, the same age as Mica. The thought brought a lump to Ianto’s throat.

“She’s got you there,” he said with a chuckle. “I did ask, and now I have my answer. I’ve never come across a Quoat before. Are they good pets?”

“The best,” Surilla stated firmly. “Papa gave her to me when I was little and she was just a baby. She’s nearly full-grown now.”

“She’s very… pink.”

Surilla giggled. “I like pink.”

“I can see that.” The little girl had a tattered and drooping pink bow in her dark hair and her clothes had once been various shades of pink. Again it was the older woman who spoke rather than the man, who still stood as if uncertain what to do.

“We have nothing to lose by being polite, Garten,” she admonished. “This man could surely have harmed us by now if that had been his intent.” She turned to Ianto. “My name is Izelle Villery. This is my daughter, Jessa, her husband Garten Megilly and their daughter, Surilla.”

Ianto inclined his head politely. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Garten sank to the ground like a puppet with its string cut and put his head in his hands. “This is all my fault.”

“Nonsense, Garten,” Izelle told him firmly. “You have done everything you could and kept us all alive this long, that’s more than most could have done.”

“Why don’t you start by telling me how you wound up in this place?” Ianto gestured around their hovel. “I get the feeling you’re not from around here.”

Garten sighed. “You are right. It’s a long story though. I hardly know where to begin.”

“I’m in no hurry. From what you’ve said so far, I gather that your great grandfather was from earth? As I understand it, the beginning of a story is usually the best place to start.”

Garten nodded. “Very well. My great grandfather and Izelle’s grandfather were among a group of people taken from earth by an alien race. They never learned who their abductors were, but they were held captive aboard a spaceship for some time and experimented upon. Eventually, the aliens must have learned everything about humans that they wished to know, and the survivors were abandoned on another world. 

They set up their own colony and they thrived, trading with the planet’s natives and learning new skills, but some of the younger men, including my grandfather, became restless and started signing on with the ships of traders that visited the world they now called home. They saved their wages and eventually were able to buy a small freighter of their own, crewed entirely by humans. The venture was a great success and all involved prospered, so they bought more ships, each one run by a family, and all helping to support the colony.

Everything went well until my brother decided we should expand our range into another sector. He had become captain of our family’s ship the previous year when our father passed beyond the veil; as the younger brother, I was promoted to Berrin’s former post of First Mate. Because we are away from home for many turns at a time, our families have always travelled with us, working alongside us. Our children are raised onboard, born into the life we have chosen for ourselves. It’s a good life, or at least it was.

My brother’s ambition brought us to the attention of another spacefaring race whose trading routes we were encroaching upon. They were not happy and told us to go back where we’d come from, but Berrin said that space belongs to no one and that we had as much right to be there as anyone. I tried to make him see reason, but he was always stubborn and strong-willed. He refused to back down, so our rivals sent a band of brigands to deal with us. 

Our ship was attacked while I was off duty, with my family in our quarters. I had to make a decision, either join the fight against an unknown number of attackers with superior weaponry, or try to save my family. I chose my family, but perhaps it might have been better for all of us if we had remained on the ship and faced our fate alongside our kin.

We gathered what we could as quickly as we could and made for the nearest lifepod, jettisoning it as soon as the hatch was secured. The pods are small and somewhat cramped, but kept fully provisioned; we could have lived aboard for several weeks, perhaps long enough to get back to our own sector of space where our distress beacon might have brought assistance, but we must have been spotted. The brigands’ ship fired upon us, and our life support systems were damaged. We repaired them as best we could, but were only able to make it as far as this space station. When we explained our situation, we were permitted to dock, but the Port-Master said we must pay a docking fee. 

It cost us most of what we had brought with us from our ship, except for what I hid with great grandfather’s watch inside Henty’s pouch. We were left without enough funds to pay for repairs to the lifepod, and every day we were in dock we were being charged rent for the berth we were using. We tried to find work, but we were told there was none available because we didn’t belong to the union, and we couldn’t join it because we were foreigners. When we could no longer pay the fees, we were evicted and our pod became property of the station in partial payment of the money we owed. We ended up here because we needed what little money we had left to pay for food, but now even that is gone. Gambling with great grandfather’s watch seemed the only chance we had left, but I was wrong; it was a foolish idea. I would have done better to sell it so that at least we might eat for a while longer, but I was desperate. All I could think of was how badly I had failed my family.”

“You didn’t fail us,” Jessa said softly. “This place is corrupt, it would not have mattered what you did; the people here were intent on bleeding us dry. I cannot help but wonder how many others have suffered the same fate at their hands. There is more honesty among the thieves at the black market where we brought our food than among those who own this space station.” Turning to face Ianto, she asked, “Will you help us?”

“Yes, I believe I will. You’re welcome aboard my ship, and I’ll do what I can to get you back to your homeworld.”

“Thank you! We will forever be in your debt.”

Garten was still suspicious. “What is this generosity on your part going to cost us? We have no money to pay our way; only this.” He held out the watch once more, but Ianto shook his head. 

“That has more value to you than it would ever have for me. Besides, I already have one. What use does one man have for two watches?”

“Then what is your price?”

“The one commodity you have that I need; knowledge, information, call it what you will. Your people are traders; you know your sector of space better than anyone. You can tell my ship and I about all the worlds you’ve visited, along with as much information as you can about this sector and the brigands who attacked your ship.”

“And what would you do with this knowledge? Prey on other people?” 

“As I told you, I’m not like the people who attacked you. Forewarned is forearmed; if I know what I’m likely to encounter, I can avoid getting myself into trouble. I will fight if I have to, but I prefer not to if it can be avoided; it’s messy, and sometimes, innocent people get hurt or killed. 

There’s one other reason; I already have some passengers aboard my ship who were abducted from their world by slavers. Their race doesn’t have space travel and finding where they were taken from is proving difficult. Perhaps you know of their world and can help me return my friends to their home. They’re good people, they didn’t deserve what was done to them any more than you did. Like you, they just want to go home.”

“I hope we will not come to regret trusting you, but in truth, we have no choice. However, there is a problem; how do we reach your ship? If we enter the spaceport, we will surely be recognised and arrested for non-payment of debts.”

“Then it’s a good thing we don’t have to go there; my ship can come to us.” In his head, Ianto added, ‘How about it, beautiful? Can you materialise around us? A touch of theatrics might go down well.’

‘I believe that will pose no problem.’

Even as the words formed inside Ianto’s head, the sound of the TARDIS materialising filled the shack.

“What is that sound?” Garten wrapped his arms protectively around his wife and child.

“Nothing to be afraid of, it’s just my ship picking us up.” The walls of the TARDIS flickered in and out of visibility for a moment before solidifying around them. “Here we are! Welcome aboard, everybody.”

There were gasps of amazement from the small family and curious whines from the Quoat, while inside his head, Ianto heard his TARDIS ask, ‘You think me beautiful?’

‘Of course; I’m surprised you have to ask,’ he replied.

“This is your ship?” Garten sounded awed.

“This is the console room. I have quite a lot of ship. She’s great company, but it’s good to have other people around. Now, if you’ll all come with me, I’ll show you to your quarters; looks like you could all do with a rest and something to eat.” In his head, he thought at the TARDIS, ‘Is there any chance of a suite near the kitchen?’

‘Already completed: Central lounge, two connecting bedrooms, one separate bedroom for Izelle, all with en suite bathrooms. I took the liberty of decorating Surilla’s room in pink.’

Ianto smiled as he led the family out of the console room and towards the staircase leading to the residential level. ‘Nice touch.’ Aloud, he said, “I hope you’ll like the accommodations. My ship prides herself on making everyone on board as comfortable as possible.”

“You speak of your ship as if she were a living being,” Izelle commented.

“That’s because she is. She’s sentient; not just my transport and my home, but my closest friend too.”

“I would introduce myself,” the TARDIS spoke audibly for once, “but Ianto has yet to decide on my name.”

“I’m sorry, I just haven’t found the right one for you yet. Any old name won’t do; it has to fit you perfectly.”

“Then I shall try to be patient. Welcome,” she greeted her new passengers. “If there is anything you require, simply ask and I shall do my best to provide.”

Garten looked stunned. “A ship that speaks! I would not have believed such a thing was possible if I’d not heard it with my own ears. How did you come to own such an extraordinary vessel?”

“I don’t know that I own her, as such; she belongs to herself. As for how we met, she rescued me from a fate worse than death; there was an explosion, and I was thrown into the void. She was already there and she saved me. As both of us were alone, we joined forces; exploring the universe is a lot more fun when you have someone to share the experience with.” Ianto stopped outside a door across from the kitchen and opened it to reveal a spacious lounge area. “Here you are; the bedrooms are though those doors. If you have any questions, just ask the ship. The main kitchen is through there,” he pointed to the door across the corridor. “It’s fully stocked, so help yourselves to food, there’s always plenty. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll leave you to rest; tomorrow I’ll show you around. Oh, and there’s a laundry room just down the hall if you want to wash your clothes. Goodnight.”

As the door closed behind their host, Garten gazed in wonder at the unexpected luxury of his surroundings. He was pulled from his stupor by Surilla’s excited cry.

“Mama, Papa, Gramma, my room’s pink! Come see!” 

Jessa smiled. “Better not keep her waiting.” 

Linking arms with his wife, Garten followed Izelle towards the open door to one of the sleeping chambers. It was indeed pink, in carefully chosen shades that combined to give the room a warm, welcoming feel, perfect for Surilla.

“Isn’t it wonderful?” the little girl exclaimed.

All three adults agreed, but Garten crouched before his daughter, reminding her that they were only visitors and might not be staying long.

“I know, Papa, but it’s all so lovely I know me and Henty will be happy here, no matter how long it takes to get home.” Suddenly remembering the manners her parents and grandmother had drilled into her, she looked up at the ceiling. “Thank you, ship, I love my room!”

“You are welcome, Surilla. I hope you will all enjoy your stay.”

“I’m sure we shall,” said Izelle. “We are most grateful to you and your travelling companion for your kindness and hospitality.” As the eldest of her people present, it was her privilege to speak for the family. Jessa and Garten nodded agreement, murmuring their own thanks.

While the women went to freshen up, Garten considered how completely their lives had been turned around in the space of just a few hours. His desperate gamble had paid off in ways he never could have anticipated; he’d been ready to sacrifice everything he had, including his own life, to save his family, and Lady Fortune had smiled on them. What was it his grandfather used to say? ‘To win big, you have to be willing to bet everything.’ 

Garten had never been a gambling man, unlike his brother. He’d always been the prudent, level headed one, warning against the dangers of taking risks and advising on the safest course of action. Perhaps that was why the two of them had worked so well together, creating a balance between rashness and over-caution. But his brother was gone. Now, it seemed he would have to learn when to throw caution to the stars, put everything on one roll of the dice and hope for the best outcome.

It was a daunting prospect; he only hoped he was up to the task. Only time would tell.

 

TBC in Chapter 16


	16. Courses Of Action

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto is determined to set certain injustices to rights, but how best to achieve his goal?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Challenge #119: Punch at fan_flashworks. 
> 
> **Spoilers:** CoE, House of the Dead

Leaving the family to settle into their quarters, Ianto made his way back to the console room; he wasn’t in the best of moods, mulling over what Garten had told him of the events leading up to their encounter in the back street market. 

“Isn’t there some kind of law out here to protect those in need? Garten and his family lost practically everything to the brigands who attacked their ship. Hell, they lost half their family! And instead of getting help from the station’s authorities, they were exploited, their assets systematically stripped until they were penniless and starving! What kind of people would do that?” 

“The majority of planetary systems are self-governed. In this sector, the planet below is the seat of power, however the ruler is ignorant of what goes on aboard the space station, her advisors take a cut of all bribes in return for giving her false information. Provided that trade with other nearby worlds continues without disruption, the status quo is maintained and the corrupt persons who are in positions of power profit while keeping the lower classes firmly under their thumb. 

It appears that the brigands who attacked Garten’s ship were despatched from here. They are in the employ of the station’s manager, sent to ensure that no outsiders profit from trading locally. The manager would not find it easy to extort bribes from an independent trader with no local ties, which is no doubt the reason everyone who works here must be a native and belong to the union.”

“How do you know all that?”

“I am monitoring radio frequencies, it is a very effective way of gaining information.”

“Huh. Do you happen to know who the station manager is and where to find him?”

“His name is Maynaud Pax, he lives in a heavily fortified section of the station, no doubt owing to all the death threats he receives. He has little contact with anyone other than his three assistants, who collect protection money for him, along with anything else he feels the inhabitants and local traders owe him. As you can imagine, he is not well-liked.”

“There’s a surprise. Well, now he’s gained another enemy, and this one isn’t going to just sit around and let him get away with what he’s doing. Can you get us inside his quarters?”

“For what reason?”

“I want to punch the bastard in the face!”

“Violence seldom solves anything, Ianto.”

“Maybe not, but it would make me feel a hell of a lot better!” Ianto sighed and shoved his hands through his hair. “I’m not leaving this place until Pax gets what’s coming to him! What would the Doctor do in this sort of situation?”

“I do not have that information, Ianto. I am sorry.”

“Not your fault. Okay, I need to think this through. While I’m at it I may as well work off some of my frustrations in the gym.”

“Perhaps I should reinforce the punching bag supports.”

“Good idea, I intend to do to it what I can’t do to the person I really want to hurt,” and with that, Ianto headed out of the console room. That punching bag wasn’t going to know what hit it!

 

OoOoOoO

 

Down in the newly created guest suite, Garten paced around the lounge, restless despite his weariness. He thought for a while before finally coming to a decision.

“Ship?”

“Yes, Garten?”

“I would speak with Mister Jones, if I may.”

“Ianto is currently occupied, I will guide you to him.”

“I do not wish to disturb him if he’s busy.”

“’Busy’ and ‘occupied’ are not the same thing; he will not mind. Indeed, a distraction might prove beneficial. If you would step into the corridor and follow the lights, I believe he will welcome your company.”

“Very well. Thank you.”

Doing as he was instructed, Garten soon found himself entering a large, airy room, bigger than the cargo hold of his family’s ship. It was brightly lit, with strange machines and pieces of equipment scattered about, and ropes hanging from the ceiling. The man he sought was indeed there, hands wrapped in what appeared to be bandages, and hitting a heavy looking sack that hung from a chain. It was a very strange sight and Garten was understandably puzzled. He stood silently watching for several minutes before the ship spoke.

“Ianto, you have company.”

Mister Jones immediately ceased his assault on the hapless sack, stilled its swinging and turned to face his visitor.

“Garten, is everything alright?”

“Yes, thank you. May I ask; why were you hitting that sack?”

“Because I’m angry and I can’t hit the person I want to hit.”

“Oh. I apologise if I or my family have angered you.” Garten’s forehead creased with worry.

“What? Oh, no, it’s not you. I’m angry with the person who’s responsible for your situation.”

That just puzzled Garten even more. “My brother?”

Ianto shook his head. “Your brother may have been stubborn and misguided, but he was just trying to extend your trade routes. No, the one who left you stranded and penniless is the person who runs this space station like it’s his own little kingdom, and he’s doing it without the knowledge of this world’s ruler. Worse, he’s getting away with it by paying off anyone who might otherwise object. I’ve been trying to figure out a way to put an end to his reign of tyranny. I think better when I’m doing something else.”

“Such as hitting a sack?”

“Hey, don’t knock what you haven’t tried! It works wonders for relieving anger and frustration. You should have a go sometime, maybe when you’re rested. How are your family?”

“They are sleeping.”

“But I’m guessing you couldn’t because you’re still worried.”

“Yes. How did you know?”

“You and I, we’re not so different, Garten. I can never sleep when something’s bothering me either, no matter how tired I am. You take your responsibilities seriously; well so do I. Not everyone appreciates that. So, what is it that’s troubling you?”

“I confess, I don’t understand why you’re helping us.”

Ianto led the way to a nearby bench, sitting down and gesturing to the seat beside him. He waited until Garten was seated before speaking.

“I could simply say it’s because you’re human and so am I. There are few enough humans out here already, so why not stick together and help each other when we can? The information you can provide could be very valuable to me.”

“But when you followed me, you had no way of knowing that I may have useful information.”

“No, I didn’t.” Ianto smiled slightly; Garten was very perceptive, it was only fair that he knew the truth, or some of it at least. Maybe it would set his mind at rest. “Garten, I’m not just human, I’m from earth. I lived in a city called Cardiff, in Wales, a small corner of the United Kingdom. What most people didn’t know was that Cardiff was right on top of a Rift through time and space.”

“I have heard of these Rifts. They exist in various places throughout the universe. There are areas of space it is best to avoid because such Rifts are unpredictable; spaceships can get sucked in, never to be seen again.”

“Exactly; they’re a natural hazard. But Rifts go both ways. What goes in has to come out somewhere, often light years from where it entered, and not always intact. Objects and sometimes living beings came through Cardiff’s Rift at random. I worked for an organisation that collected whatever came through in order to protect the city, and the world, from the danger they posed.”

“You protected the people of earth from aliens?”

“Sometimes. Other times we protected the aliens from the people of earth. There were times when incursions were deliberate, other races trying to circumvent the Shadow Proclamation’s rules and regulations, intent on invasion or abduction. That’s probably what happened to your ancestors. Most of the time, what we got was technology, from the future and from other words, things that could change the course of history if they fell into the wrong hands; it was our job to prevent that. But intelligent beings, and sometimes animals, fell through too, and whenever possible, we tried to return them to where they belonged. If that wasn’t possible, we gave them whatever assistance we could to settle on earth. The point is, that’s been my purpose in life for a long time. The explosion I was caught up in closed the Rift, but it also created a space/time barrier that neither this ship nor I can pass. I can return to my home, but not to within five hundred years of my time. I can never see my family or friends again. I’m completely cut off from my sister, her children, everyone who ever meant anything to me.”

“I am sorry, I know how that feels.”

“Yes, I know you do. But even though I can’t go home myself, I can still help others, like you and your family, to return to their homes and loved ones. It may not sound like much of a compensation for what I‘ve lost, but it’s a way to stay true to everything I believed in and to continue the work I did back on earth. Helping others in need gives me a purpose, something useful to do, and it makes me feel less alone. That’s why I’m helping you; to hold on to what I can of my old life while I try to find my feet in my new one. I’d never left earth before; in the 21st century, space travel is in its infancy, humans have only made it as far as the moon and little progress has been made since. I’m better off in some ways than your ancestors were; I encountered a lot of alien races through my job. Some were friendly, some not so much, but at least I was prepared to some extent to deal with being out here. The rate I’m going, by the time I catch up to Jack, I’ll be an old hand at the spacefaring way of life.”

“Jack. That is the friend you’re seeking?”

“Yes. He’s out here somewhere and I need to find him, because he thinks I died and if I know anything about him, he’s blaming himself. Aliens came to earth, demanding ten percent or the world’s children. The government decided to give in to their demands and tried to kill us to prevent us from interfering. Because of that, we didn’t have the time we needed to come up with another way of eliminating the threat and Jack was forced to do the unthinkable, sacrifice one child to save millions. The only child available was his own grandson; I can’t imagine what it must have cost him to make that decision, but he was sworn to protect the people of earth, and that included the children. There was no other way. He’s a good man, but doing his job cost him everything. He lost his grandson and his lover in the space of a day, and his daughter will never forgive him. But none of it was his fault; the people in power went behind the queen’s back and…” All the air went out of Ianto as an idea hit him. The answer was so obvious he could have kicked himself. “That’s it! TARDIS, you’re intercepting radio transmissions from the space station and the planet below, right?”

“That is correct, Ianto.”

“Well, why don’t we just do what we did for Lizzie? Collect the information on all the dirty dealings and transmit it to the ruler of the planet, tell her everything her advisors have been concealing from her so she can clean house. They wouldn’t be hiding what they’re up to if they thought she would approve. The right information in the right hands can make all the difference.”

“I believe that might work. I shall begin immediately. I should have all the required information within twenty-four earth hours.”

“Excellent!” Ianto stretched luxuriously, easing the kinks out of his muscles. “Well then, now we’ve decided on a course of action, I think I’ll get some sleep.” He turned to Garten. “You should try to sleep too. Once the TARDIS and I have done what we can to sort out the situation here, we’ll see about getting you and your family back to the world you call home.”

“Thank you, Mister Jones.”

“It’s Ianto, Garten. Come on, I’ll walk with you back to your suite. My rooms are down the same corridor. Tomorrow, I think we should all spend some time in the gardens; the fresh air will do Surilla good, and I’m sure Henty will appreciate having room to run and play. I want to introduce you all to my other guests anyway…”

Walking side by side, they left the gym, chatting companionably.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Five days hadn’t been much time for Jack to get himself in shape. He’d done the best he could with the time available, spending every waking moment either working out or eating and the rest of the time sleeping, but none of it had much visible effect. Press-ups, chin-ups, jogging on the spot, skipping with a borrowed length of rope, and shadow-boxing, since he didn’t have access to a punching bag or other gym equipment, at least worked the last traces of alcohol out of his system. Thanks to his rapid healing he didn’t suffer any after-effects, but even so, he was still looking thin and pale when he left the Fiori Winnik, clutching the papers Lukek had given him, a heavy bag carrying all his belongings slung over one shoulder. 

Paramian was the largest port in that sector of space, which made it ideal for his purposes; ships from all over the sector as well as from further afield passed through regularly, and someone was always hiring. Not that Jack needed the money; if he’d wanted to he could have bought his own ship, but that kind of extravagance felt wrong to him. He didn’t feel he deserved the kind of freedom his own spacecraft would provide.

Still, he couldn’t carry that kind of wealth around with him; that would just be asking for trouble. Plus, he had some very precious personal items in his bag which he didn’t want to subject to the non-existent security that was common in the crew quarters of most ships. Aside from the bustling port facilities, Paramian was also home to several very esteemed financial institutions with secure facilities for storing valuables, so Jack made straight for the most highly regarded of them all. Storing his valuables there might be more expensive than one of the smaller banks, but they were irreplaceable; Jack had no intention of entrusting them to anyone but the best in the business, and anyway, it wasn’t as if he couldn’t afford it.

Once he had accounts set up to pay the price of storage in his absence, Jack was led to a small personal vault, where his fingerprints, retina scans, voiceprint, and full genetic code were logged, along with his chosen passwords. Only he would ever be able to gain access. Alone inside the rented vault, Jack unpacked his bag and placed his valuables inside the secure safety deposit box set in the wall. 

Most of his remaining money and the gold and precious gems he’d bought back on earth when liquidating his assets went in first, followed by his favourite suit of Ianto’s, several ties, the stopwatch, and cufflinks that Ianto had bought for him and which had been at Ianto’s flat when the Hub blew up. Other personal items he’d kept at Ianto’s followed, including the box of photographs that had once been in his desk drawer at the Hub. There were more pictures in it now than there used to be; pictures of his team, photos of himself with Ianto, some of Alice and Steven, all the people who had meant so much to him. He had Ianto’s photo albums too, along with his laptop and diaries. Jack knew he probably should have left them for Rhiannon, but as Ianto’s only living family, she would have everything else and Jack just needed something of the man he’d loved so deeply, even though he’d never told Ianto how he felt until it was too late. At least he’d got a chance to remedy that right at the end; it was more than Jack felt he’d deserved, but what mattered was that Ianto had died knowing he was more than just a blip in time and that his feelings for Jack were returned. It hadn’t made losing Ianto any easier, but that was okay because it had allowed for a kind of closure for both of them, a last chance to say everything they needed to, and a proper farewell.

Jack pulled himself out of his reverie and wiped away his tears. Ianto was gone, but he would be remembered for eternity; Jack owed him that. Once a year, he would return to this vault and remember his Welshman; after all, he had a promise to keep. 

Leaving his vortex manipulator in the wall safe was an almost unbearable wrench. Jack had downloaded as much CCTV footage from Torchwood’s server as he could and over the months he’d been travelling aboard the Winnik, he’d watched countless hours of it, as well as listening to recorded snippets of conversation taken from the bluetooth backup files that were automatically saved on the server. That had been Tosh’s idea, just in case they needed to check messages at a later date while compiling incident reports. Hearing Ianto’s voice brought back so many memories; listening to the audio clips had been both agonising and comforting.

The final item Jack placed in the safe, covering everything else, was the coat. Not the original, but the replacement Ianto had found for him in a military surplus store in London, just a day before he died. Ianto had loved the coat almost as much as he’d loved Jack; he’d been as devastated at its loss in the explosion that destroyed the Hub as Jack had been. The one night they’d had together before confronting the 456 had been spent together beneath this replacement, which Ianto had dubbed Son of Coat, the sequel. Remembering that brought a smile to Jack’s lips and more tears to his eyes. Giving the coat one final pat, he carefully closed the safe and punched in his personal code to activate the stasis field that would keep his valuables in pristine condition for as long as they remained there. Then, hefting his now much lighter bag over his shoulder, Jack left the bank to return to the spaceport and the recruitment offices, where he hoped he’d find employment on one of the many freighters currently in dock. He’d allowed himself time to mourn his losses; now this was where his redemption would begin.

 

TBC in Chapter 17


	17. In The Midnight Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans for insurrection are finalised and the space station’s corrupt manager is removed from office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Challenge #120: Midnight at fan_flashworks.

Returning to the suite of rooms where his family rested in comfort, Garten found Jessa lying wakeful in the huge bed.

“Where have you been? I was growing worried, I thought…” She shook her head. “I don’t know what I thought.”

“I’m sorry, my love, sleep would not come so I went to talk with Ianto.”

“In the middle of the night?”

“He too was unable to sleep. He is an interesting man, Jessa, and one I now believe we can trust. The things he told me… Well, it is not my place to tell the secrets he confided in me, but be assured, he is honourable and will keep his word to help us. Through this amazing vessel, he has learned that the brigands who attacked our ship were despatched by the manager of this space station. Ianto and his ship intend to take action against him, and I will help him, if he will allow it. I do not entirely understand what he plans but I believe it will make quite an impact on a lot of people.” Garten was filled with grim satisfaction at the prospect of seeing the man who had caused them such grief get his comeuppance.

Jessa smiled as her husband sat down on the edge of the bed. “It is good to see you free of worry and looking to the future with hope. I confess I too should like to be a part of whatever action is taken against this evil man. I would rest easier knowing that what was done to us will not befall anyone else.”

“Then we will discuss matters with Ianto in the morning. For now, I think I shall check on Surilla then get some rest; tomorrow looks set to be very busy. I can scarcely remember what it is like to be able to sleep without keeping one eye open in case of danger; it will make a welcome change.” He kissed his wife briefly. “Sleep; I will be back soon.”

Garten found his daughter fast asleep with a smile on her face, clearly having happy dreams for the first time since they arrived aboard the space station. Henty, lying beside the girl on the bed, opened her eyes and rumbled softly. The Quoat looked relaxed and untroubled, no longer wary and unsettled, as she’d been throughout the long days and nights in the tumbledown shack that had been their refuge of late. 

If he’d needed any more convincing that he and his family had nothing to fear on board this strange ship, the animal’s behaviour would have provided it. Quoats were excellent guardians, fiercely protective, intuitive, and alert to the slightest danger. If Garten himself hadn’t been so on edge when Ianto had stepped into their hovel, he might have paid more attention to Henty’s lack of reaction. She had sensed no malice in the man, else she would have screeched a warning before attacking.

Closing the door behind him, Garten returned to the bedchamber he shared with his wife, disrobed and slipped into bed beside her. The bedcovers felt cool and soft, an unexpected luxury after nights spent lying on hard, cold, plasteel floors, and in minutes, he was asleep.

 

OoOoOoO

 

A few doors down, Ianto, having showered and changed into his pyjamas, was still unable to sleep, because now, rather unhelpfully, he was hungry. Typical. Being immortal apparently gave a man a huge appetite; he found he was starting to understand Jack’s eating habits a lot better.

A midnight snack seemed to be in order, and with that in mind, he made his way quietly to the kitchen, bare feet padding softly along the carpeted passageway. The TARDIS had turned her lights down to night mode, a soft, diffuse illumination with no obvious source giving just enough light for human eyes to navigate by. Anywhere else, it might have seemed eerie, but with the TARDIS a comforting presence in the back of his mind the dimness was soothing to his tired eyes.

The kitchen was in darkness as he entered, but as he moved towards the refrigerator the ceiling began to glow gently. It didn’t take Ianto long to fix himself a mug of hot cocoa and a bowl of cereal. He put both on a tray, along with a spoon and a packet of biscuits, then returned to his room to enjoy his very late supper. Seated in a wing-backed armchair, he relaxed and read while he ate, soft music playing quietly in the background. Pausing in his reading, he smiled in satisfaction; Maynaud Pax would soon be getting a very unpleasant surprise.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Morning found everyone gathering in the TARDIS’s garden, the small family as awed by the impossibility of having the outdoors somehow inside a space ship as the Tallans had been some months previously. Once the introductions had been made and breakfast had been eaten, Surilla, Henty and the youngest Tallans, Jatso and Kellik, went off to play and explore while everyone else sat in the shade of a small copse of trees, watching the resident birds and talking. Disappointingly, Garten and his family had never seen or heard of a planet that could be the Tallans’ homeworld. That wasn’t entirely bad news though, as it ruled out a fairly large sector of space, meaning Ianto and the TARDIS could concentrate their search elsewhere.

Inevitably, the conversation at last turned to Maynaud Pax and what was to be done about him. Ianto explained what he’d learned from the TARDIS’s eavesdropping on radio communications.

“Pax has grown very wealthy indeed off the misfortunes and suffering of others. When this system’s ruler died a few years ago and was succeeded by her daughter, Pax took advantage of the fact that the new Empress was still a child and made a deal with her advisors to run things their way and line their own pockets by giving their young monarch false information about everything involved with the space station. 

Empress Yvraine has never been offworld; she’s protected by a cadre of very loyal soldiers, the elite of the planet’s military, who take orders only from the Empress and are reputed to be incorruptible. They’re also in ultimate charge of the rest of the planet’s defence force. Yvraine’s advisors, and I use that term very loosely, have no influence over the military; they’re politicians, landowners and academics. Once their treachery is revealed, they shouldn’t be particularly difficult to arrest and lock up. Pax and his cronies up here are a different matter. There’s no military presence on the station, only the station’s security personnel who are all in Pax’s employ and do as they’re ordered. Anyone who tries to stand up to him disappears pretty quickly. That means soldiers will have to be despatched from the planet below to take charge up here, and if they try, Pax won’t hesitate to open fire on any ships leaving the planet’s surface. That will have to be prevented, we need to avoid a space battle at all costs; there are a lot of civilian ships docked at the station and others coming in and out of the system all the time. I won’t put innocent lives at risk if it can be avoided.”

“The space station’s defences are automated. Under ordinary circumstances, they would not be able to fire upon the ships of the Fleet, but there exists a manual override that can be used in emergencies; it is this system that must be disabled. There are two points of access to the manual controls; the main station security headquarters, and an auxiliary control room situated in Pax’s suite, which only Pax himself has access to,” the TARDIS informed them. “Station security have grown fat and lazy since no one dares to defy Pax for fear of lethal retaliation. They will not expect to be attacked, especially not in their own headquarters. However, there are fifty security officers on the payroll and they all have their quarters within the security complex. A small army would be needed in order to take control.”

“Well, it just so happens that I know a few people who are very proficient with weapons and I believe they’d be more than happy to help upset the status quo, since Pax is demanding they give him ever-higher percentages of their profits. This station is in a good central location; the black marketeers want to keep trading here but they’re not happy with what they’re being compelled to pay for the privilege. Pax has become too greedy. If there’s a realistic hope of taking him and his cronies down, they’ll jump at the chance. The only reason they haven’t tried is because they have no way to get inside Pax’s stronghold, and if they can’t take him down, everything else is futile. Pax’s suite is like a bunker; try to get through the doors without the proper authorization codes, which are known only to Pax, and you get fried. There’s no way through the walls either, short of blowing the entire station apart, and even then there’s no guarantee. Which is where the TARDIS comes in.”

“I can simply materialise inside Pax’s defences, within the auxiliary control room. Garten, if I show you what you will need to do, will you and Jessa be able to manually operate the defence grid and use it to disable Pax’s pirate fleet while Ianto apprehends Pax himself? The weapons systems appear to be similar to those aboard your family’s ship. I took the liberty of researching, based on the design and schematics of your escape pod.”

“We will be glad to do whatever we can to help,” Jessa assured the TARDIS.

“Three are better than two,” Izelle added. “I may not be as young as I used to be, but I still know how to operate standard weaponry. If the brigands who attacked our ship hadn’t disabled our weapons the moment they came out of the void, we would have given them a fight they would not soon have forgotten. Peaceful traders we may be, but we are all taught at an early age how to fight to keep what is ours.”

Ianto nodded. “Excellent, looks like we have a plan! We’ll want as many as possible taken alive, so target engines and weapons systems; wherever possible, aim to cripple them without making them explode. We don’t have the authority to execute them; they should be tried and punished for their crimes under planetary law, otherwise we’re no better than they are.

 

OoOoOoO

 

For Garten, Jessa and Izelle, the rest of the morning was taken up with instruction on how to initiate manual override of the station’s weapons systems and operate them. However, for their plan to work, the primary weapons control and defence systems in the security headquarters would first have to be taken offline and the security personnel contained to prevent them from interfering. To that end, after lunch Ianto transformed himself into Des Llewellyn, freelance smuggler and personal security specialist, and headed to the black market’s current location to enlist the assistance of some of his shadier acquaintances.

Informing them that a friend of his was preparing a strike against Pax that would end his stranglehold on trade in the sector once and for all, he had no trouble at all in recruiting more than thirty very willing participants for the attack on security HQ. To an outsider, it wouldn’t have looked like anything was going on beyond business as usual. There were no large gatherings; the news was spread by word of mouth, and the plan discussed between traders and their clients as they made deals, or between people apparently just passing the time of day. There were no detectable changes in anyone’s behaviour, these people made their living by keeping their activities on the down low, but Ianto had no doubt that when the time came, they’d all know exactly where to be and what to do down to the last detail. Every one of them was a professional and a specialist in his or her own field. Strange to say, considering they were criminals, but Ianto trusted them.

“What about you, Des?” asked an alien who went by the name of Burl Three-toes. Ianto had worked for him on a couple of occasions and considered him more or less a friend. He traded in stolen goods, generally working as a middleman these days, employing younger people to do the actual stealing, though he still kept his hand in occasionally.

“My job is to take out Pax himself,” Ianto replied with a smirk. “He’ll never see it coming.”

“Wish I could be there ta see it,” Burl grinned, displaying an impressive set of razor-sharp teeth. “Don’t be too gentle with ‘im, will ya? I’m sure he don’t need _all_ his parts to stand trial.”

“Depends on whether or not he puts up a fight. I don’t plan on exerting myself more than I have to.” Ianto feigned boredom. “He’s just not worth the effort.”

Chuckling, Burl gave Ianto’s shoulder a shove that would’ve probably knocked him over if he hadn’t been expecting it. “You’re a one, you are! Just give ‘im one fer me if he resists. And stop by before ya leave, I picked up a little somethin’ I think ya might like.”

“No promises, but I’ll try.”

“That’s all a fella can ask.”

They went their separate ways without a word of farewell, drifting off to catch up with others and spread the word further.

 

OoOoOoO

 

The attack was set for halfway through what passed for the space station’s night, when businesses were closed for a few hours, the lighting was lowered to conserve power, and anyone not on duty got some much-needed sleep if they could. Pax liked to keep a close personal eye on his little kingdom via banks of monitors connected to the station’s surveillance systems. Because he had a suspicious nature, he didn’t like to think of the station’s inhabitants getting up to things when he wasn’t watching, so when he slept, the station did too. Ianto couldn’t have arranged things better himself.

By ones and twos, the black marketeers drifted into position. Patrolling security officers were quietly apprehended, stripped and stashed out of sight, to be replaced by men and women of the newly formed rebel force, dressed in the borrowed uniforms. By midnight, everyone was in place and awaiting the signal to move in. At midnight precisely, every light on the station went out, courtesy of the TARDIS. The rebels simply put on their infrared goggles and moved in.

The battle was brief and one-sided, the station’s security personnel having grown lazy and unfit over recent years. Confused and disoriented in the sudden darkness, the majority were quickly restrained, though a few hardier souls tried to hold back the invaders. Injuries to both sides were mostly minor and by the time the lights came back on five minutes later, the supposed officers of the law had been disarmed. There was a certain amount of poetic justice in locking them in their own cells and releasing their prisoners, most of whom had done nothing more than find themselves unable to pay the station’s exorbitant charges. 

With station security out of the picture, taking the primary defence controls offline posed no problem and the auxiliary control room immediately took over. Everything was ready for Ianto and his team.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Down on the planet’s surface earlier that day, Empress Yvraine had sat at her desk watching footage streamed from the space station high overhead and becoming increasingly angry. Calling for her Commander in Chief, she showed him the information she’d been sent.

“This is intolerable, I had no idea!”

“Indeed, ma’am, this cannot be allowed to continue. What would you have me do?”

“My advisors are no longer to be trusted, your men must lock them up and initiate a full investigation to see how far this corruption had spread. According to the message sent with this information, people aboard the space station intend to wrest control from Pax and his minions on the stroke of midnight, station time. I want your three best commando units despatched in cloaked ships and ready to dock with the station as soon as the rebellion begins; Pax and everyone else involved are to be apprehended and brought back here for trial. Put one of your Commanders in temporary charge of the station until a new manager can be appointed. Everyone who has profited from Pax’s scheming is to have their assets stripped and used to provide compensation for those who have suffered under his regime.”

“As you command, ma’am.”

“Roget, must you call me ma’am? It makes me feel so old and I’m barely fifteen!”

“You are the Empress, ma’am.”

“And you have been like a father to me since mother passed.”

“When you are performing official duties, you must be addressed as befits your station,” Roget stated firmly, then smiled gently. “The rest of the time is a different matter, my dear.”

“I suppose I can live with that. I’ve been lax, Roget, my youth is no excuse. I must in future keep a much closer eye on our space station rather than just expecting others to run it in accordance with my wishes. From this,” she gestured at the screens before her, displaying reams of data, “it appears that Pax has been running things up there for his own profit since my coronation. Almost seven years, Roget. I am a fool; I should not have relied on my advisors to keep me informed. My mother picked them and I trusted them, but they are not bound by the same oath of loyalty as you and your troops, and greed is insidious. I will not make the same mistake again.”

“Then you have learned a valuable lesson and will be more attentive to all that you govern because of it. Do not dwell on your failure; move forward with confidence and put the situation to rights. That is the best course of action.”

“You are a better advisor than any, Roget.”

“I am sworn to serve this world and its ruler, Yvraine, and I do so to the best of my ability in all things.” He straightened to attention. “I will lead the troops myself, ma’am.”

“Very well, Commander Roget, keep me informed. You are dismissed.”

Roget bowed slightly and left Yvraine alone in her office, still studying her screens and cursing Pax for his treachery. 

 

OoOoOoO

 

In the supposed safety of his bedchamber, Pax slept peacefully until a shrill alarm dragged him from slumber, alerting him to potential trouble somewhere on the station. Before he was even fully awake, the sound cut off abruptly. That was impossible! Only he could deactivate the alarms in his quarters once they were triggered by the automated systems at security. Sitting up, he realised his bedchamber was lit with a soft illumination, yet he knew he’d turned off the lighting before going to sleep. He rubbed at his eyes roughly. Was he dreaming?

“Wakey wakey, Mr Pax, this is your wake-up call. I was beginning to think you might sleep right through the alarm. Such an annoying sound, isn’t it? I took the liberty of turning it off for you.” 

The voice was strangely accented and unfamiliar, and Pax scrambled from his bed, staring in shock at the man seated casually in his favourite chair. The reading lamp was turned on; that explained the light.

“Who are you? How did you get in here? This place is secure, no one can get in without my authorisation!” Pax was angry and more than a little rattled. He tried to think what he could use as a weapon. He only ever needed to be armed when he was out and about in the station, not when he was safe in his own home; all his weapons were locked in the safe in his office.

“Who I am isn’t important, just think of me as a concerned citizen. As for how I got in, well, that’s my secret.” The man looked up at him, smiling slightly. He was young, surely less than half Pax’s age, though it was difficult to be certain. He appeared to be human, which made the situation seem even more surreal; true humans were very rare out here. Still, he didn’t look threatening and Pax saw no sign of a weapon.

“What do you want?”

The man’s expression changed, turning hard and cold in an instant. “You’ve been a very naughty boy, Mr Pax. Nobody wants to play with you anymore, so I’m here to take your toys away. You’ve been playing with things that don’t belong to you for far too long anyway. You took things you had no right to, stole from good people; you’re directly responsible for so much suffering, and all so you could live in luxury. It ends now.”

“So this is a power play? You think you can take over? You foolish boy; I can have security here in minutes, then you’ll really know suffering.”

The smile was back on the man’s face. “Your so-called security people are… currently indisposed, enjoying the hospitality of their own cells I believe. Did you think I was alone?” He laughed. “Oh no, not alone, not by a long shot! You’ve upset an awful lot of people.” A flick of a switch set into the arm of the chair and Pax’s wall screens came on, displaying visuals of the corridors outside his suite. They were packed with angry people, waving fists and improvised weapons. Even with the audio turned off it was clear they were shouting. “Look at them all, out for your blood! They want to see you suffer the way they have. Shall I open the doors and let them in?”

“You can’t! You wouldn’t!” For the first time, Pax was starting to realise that he was no longer in control of the situation.

“Why not? How would it be any worse than what you’ve done to them, destroying their lives for your own gain? Of course, if I let them in, they’ll most likely rip you limb from limb. Some of them might even eat you, I gather in certain cultures it’s traditional to dine upon one’s enemies. Good thing there’s plenty of you to go around.” He shrugged, looking completely unconcerned. “There’s no accounting for tastes. Sadly, your fate isn’t mine to decide; that privilege belongs to Empress Yvraine. Still, whatever punishment she selects, I’m sure you’re not going to like it. Even now, her forces are approaching, ready to take you and your… employees into custody. You’ll all stand trial at her convenience. I’d love to be there, but I have business elsewhere.” He rose to his feet. 

“You’re going to leave me here?” Pax could scarcely believe his luck, but the surge of relief was short-lived.

“Good God, no! Why would I leave you in your secure bunker where no one else can get at you? No, you’re coming with me; I’ll drop you off where Yvraine’s troops will be sure to find you. Don’t bother to dress, I doubt you’ll be allowed to keep your own clothes for long anyway.” A strong hand grasped Pax by the upper arm.

“And what if I… decline to accompany you?”

The man pressed a button on a small handheld device he took from his pocket. “I just opened all your doors; the horde from outside will find their way to this room in a matter of minutes, I’m sure they’d be delighted to find you here, alone. Your choice, but I’d make up my mind quickly, if I were you.”

Pax weighed his options; he had no chance against the mob he could hear approaching, but against one man… “I’ll go with you.”

“I thought you’d see it my way.” 

The man led Pax to the auxiliary control room, closing and securing the door behind them. Three other people, two women and a man, were already present in the small area, working at the consoles.

“Everything alright?”

“All the pirate ships are disabled,” a melodious voice filled the room. “One is destroyed, it was already firing when Izelle targeted its weapons. Unfortunate, but unavoidable.”

“Good job, everyone. I think it’s time we departed, don’t you?”

“Are we not going to stay and help?” the younger of the women asked.

“Yvraine’s forces are more than capable, we’d just be in the way. We can watch from orbit on the viewscreens if you wish.”

The other man shook his head. “No, we did our part, those responsible for stealing from us will pay for all their crimes. There is no need for us to witness their defeat. Is this him?” he added, gesturing towards Pax.

“The one and only. A fitting gift for the Empress, don’t you think? Maybe he should be gift wrapped.” Pax found himself being propelled towards a door he’d never noticed before, in the corner of the room. It opened inwards as they reached it and he was shoved roughly into the room beyond. It was like nothing he’d ever seen, with a central console on a raised platform, surrounded by low tables and comfortable chairs set on a polished wood floor.

“I don’t understand; this isn’t part of my suite.”

“No one said it was. This is my ship.”

“That’s impossible! Nothing this size could fit…” Pax trailed off as he saw the corridors radiating away from the console room. He stopped dead as if rooted to the ground, staring around in a mix of awe and barely suppressed terror. Surely this was all some kind of nightmare? Maybe he shouldn’t have eaten so much at dinner.

The other three people entered behind them, the door closing by itself, shutting out all that was familiar. It was the last straw; flailing in panic, Pax twisted in his captor’s grasp and sank his teeth into the other man’s hand, tasting an unfamiliar coppery tang. A foot stamped hard on one of his own, grinding down on the bare and tender flesh, and he howled in pain, pulling the abused foot free and staggering backwards a couple of steps before gravity took over and he sat down hard. The shock of the fall brought him back to his senses and he cringed, staring up at the man now standing over him. Was this it? Was he going to be killed?

“That wasn’t nice,” the man chided, glaring down at Pax disapprovingly. “Now see, this is why you had to be stopped; you don’t know how to play nicely with others. Ah well, no lasting damage done.” He held up his hand and Pax gaped as the wound closed before his eyes, healing so completely that within moments there was no trace of it.

“What are you?”

“I’m a man who can’t be harmed, Mr Pax. I am eternal and I can never die.” Pax fainted dead away, and thus missed the man’s final words. “It’s not as much fun as it sounds, that bloody well hurt!”

 

OoOoOoO

 

Commander Roget and his troops stood in front of the security HQ. They’d rounded up the rest of the space station’s workforce and locked them in the cells for the remainder of the night; in the morning the tedious business of sorting out which were complicit with Pax’s activities and which were given no choice in the matter would begin. The only one not accounted for was Pax himself. Roget’s musings were interrupted by a strange, eerie sound behind him, and he spun on his heel to gape in astonishment as a massive tree in full leaf gradually faded into view just metres away and seemed to solidify. 

The atrium that fronted the security offices was by no means a small space, but the tree was so immense it reached almost to the distant ceiling, dwarfing the surrounding buildings. Slowly and cautiously, Roget stepped forward across smooth plasteel undisturbed by any sign of roots. How the tree remained standing with nothing to anchor it was beyond him. Reaching out, he laid his hand on the rough bark of the trunk. Its texture certainly felt like that of a tree, but it was warm and seemed to throb faintly beneath his fingertips. As suddenly as it had appeared, and accompanied once more by the same eerie noise, it started to flicker in and out of visibility, gradually fading out of existence as if it had never been there; but one thing had changed. Where the tree had stood just moments before was none other than Maynaud Pax, bound and gagged, a large and decorative red ribbon tied around him in a neat bow. There was something white attached to it, fluttering slightly in the breeze created by the tree’s departure.

Roget reached for the tag, turning is so he could read the words inscribed on its surface.

_For Empress Yvraine,_

_With my respect,_

_Ianto Jones._

_P.S. Beware of the teeth – he bites._

TBC in Chapter 18 


	18. A Merry Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The TARDIS crew have good reason to celebrate, and they’re going to make the most of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Challenge #121: Dancing at fan_flashworks. 
> 
> This one’s just a short chapter owing to the prompt it was written for, so it’s sort of an interlude before we jump into Ianto’s next big adventure. Hope you like it anyway.

Despite Garten’s earlier words, he and his family stood with Ianto and the Tallans to watch events unfold on the viewscreens, the TARDIS picking up the space station’s CCTV feed to show everyone on board the moment when Commander Roget took Pax into custody. Bound in his scarlet ribbon, which had slipped in places due to him struggling to free himself, Pax looked like a badly wrapped parcel. Ianto was a little disappointed; he’d done such a neat job of wrapping the station manager, but his hard work had quickly been spoiled by Pax’s refusal to accept his fate.

“No one has any respect for true artistry these days,” he mourned, though no one other than the TARDIS was listening.

“Your gift-wrapping was exemplary, Ianto,” she told him.

“Thank you, I thought I did rather well, considering the uneven shape of the package.”

“He did look much prettier nicely wrapped, I am sure the Empress would have appreciated your efforts.”

“Well, I suppose we’ll never know for sure now.”

As the prisoner was taken away to be transported down to the planet’s surface, the Commander broadcast a message from the Empress, telling all aboard the space station that Pax’s regime was ended. The cheers of the inhabitants were deafening, and were echoed by everyone aboard the TARDIS. Surilla was so excited she started dancing around the console room, shouting, “We won! We won!” and the exuberant Tallans, who were always looking for a reason to celebrate, quickly joined in with one of their traditional dances. Before Ianto knew what was happening, everyone was at it, skipping and twirling, spinning around, teaching each other new steps as the TARDIS provided suitable musical accompaniment, and Henty the Quoat frolicked around them. Ianto couldn’t quite work out how she managed to coordinate her multiple legs without tripping over them.

‘They all appear to be enjoying themselves,’ the TARDIS murmured in his head. ‘You should join the party and be happy; we have won a great victory, there is good reason for celebration.’

‘I know, and I am happy, the lives of a lot of people will be changed for the better. But it doesn’t alter the fact that Garten and his family lost their home, their livelihood, and all their other family members. We were only victorious up to a point; removing Pax from power doesn’t undo the events that came before.’

‘That is true. However, there may be a way to alter past events without affecting the present, if you wish to make the attempt.’

Ianto turned to lean his back against the railing of the console platform, his back to the dancers, staring up at the time rotor. ‘What d’you mean?’

‘I have been studying Garten’s timeline; the brigands’ ship sustained damage to its hyperdrive engines during the attack and they are currently limping towards the space station through normal space. It is taking some time because of the distances involved, but although they are unable to enter the vortex to speed up their return, they will neither encounter nor make contact with any other ship on their journey.’

‘And this is significant because…?’

‘If the brigands have no impact on anyone else during the time period between their attack on the freighter and the present moment, then changing the outcome of the space battle need not affect the current timeline.’

‘You’re saying we could go back in time and save the freighter and crew without undoing what we’ve just accomplished here?’

‘’I believe so. It is not possible to change the past without having some effect on other timelines, but I believe it can be done without causing any significant or harmful changes. However, our guests would have to remain out of sight. They cannot be seen to be in two places at the same time.’

‘Then we’ll leave them aboard the space station with the money they need to get their escape pod repaired. It’s their property so they should reclaim it, along with as much of what was taken from them as possible. We can be back before they even know we’ve gone anywhere. That way, if we don’t succeed, they never need to know.’

‘’That is a good plan. They do need to present their case to the station’s temporary commander in order to receive recompense for all they have been put through since their arrival on the station.’

Ianto nodded slowly. ‘How soon should we start?’

‘I am able to travel in time, Ianto,’ the TARDIS chided with gentle humour. ‘We can commence our rescue attempt whenever we choose to, it will make no difference.’

‘Good point. Well, as there’s no rush we may as well let everyone enjoy celebrating for as long as they want. Has there been any announcement about when whoever has been put in charge will begin hearing from the people who suffered at Pax’s hands?’

‘Temporary station manager Bain and her subordinates are to begin gathering information from those affected at noon, station time.’

Before Ianto could respond, they were interrupted.

“Ianto, you are not dancing. Why do you not celebrate with us?” Auber, soft-footed as all Tallans were, had appeared unheard at Ianto’s side.

“Sorry, Auber, I was thinking.”

“Am I interrupting?”

“No, not at all. And you’re right, I should be dancing, there’ll be time to think and make plans later, when we’re all too tired to dance anymore.” Smiling, he allowed himself to be pulled down from the console platform onto the wooden floor, where he joined the others, stumbling from time to time until he mastered the steps of the Tallan dance as the party got back into full swing.

Some time later, as they paused to catch their breath between dances, Auber turned once more to Ianto. “It is your turn, Ianto. Will you teach us some traditional earth dances?”

Ianto paused, caught off guard by the request. What dances could he possibly teach his friends? The kind of dancing that happened in the clubs of Cardiff wasn’t choreographed, everyone just moved to the music. He and Jack had been swing dancing on a few occasions, but that was unlikely to work for the Tallans, and the one time they’d been line dancing they’d had to leave early due to a Weevil uprising. That didn’t leave much choice.

Nevertheless, he reflected a short while later, the old standby always seems to go down well. With Ianto at the front, the Conga line of humans and Tallans snaked along the corridors of the TARDIS, accompanied by a great deal of laughter. Perhaps when they made it back to the console room, he’d show them how to do the Can-can!

TBC in Chapter 19


	19. Undoing The Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto and his TARDIS embark on a risky attempt to change the recent past and save lives. Will they succeed?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Challenge #123: Amnesty at fan_flashworks, using Challenge # 7: Do-Over.
> 
> **Spoilers:** CoE, House of the Dead.

Ianto finally called a halt to the celebrations somewhere around five in the morning, station time; by then everyone was too tired to dance anyway.

“We should all try to get some sleep,” he told them, “tomorrow is going to be busy.”

“I do not understand,” Garten admitted. “We were victorious; what more is there to be done?”

“Well, for a start you need to report to the temporary commander of the station. She’s going to be taking statements from all those affected by Pax’s activities, that’s the only way you’ll get back what was taken from you. I expect once she’s been made aware of the details, Commander Bain will authorize the start of repairs to your lifepod; that is, if Pax hasn’t already had the work done with the intention of selling it so he could pocket the proceeds. That lifepod and everything that was on it belongs to you and your people, I see no reason why you shouldn’t get it back.”

Garten looked surprised. “You are right, I had not thought of that; we should reclaim what is ours.”

“Bain’s investigation is set to start at noon; best to be there early if possible, there are bound to be a lot of other people in a similar situation, and you don’t want to be at the back of the queue.”

“Wise advice indeed. There is not much time left for sleeping; we had best not waste any more of it. Good night, Ianto.” The content but weary family left the console room to return to their quarters, and after wishing Ianto a restful sleep, the Tallans also departed.

As soon as he was alone, Ianto sank into one of the console room’s comfortable armchairs, closed his eyes and waited. It wasn’t very long before Auber joined him.

“It is right that Garten and his family should request return of their property, yet I sense you have other reasons for wanting them to return to the space station,” he said shrewdly, settling into the chair across from Ianto and pouring them both a drink from the bottle Ianto had brought to the table.

Ianto picked up his glass and sipped slowly. “I do. I’m about to attempt something that may not even prove possible. It’s risky, and I don’t want the Megillys to know about it in case I fail, but the TARDIS seems to think it should be possible, at least in theory. Only trouble is, she can’t see whether or not we’ll succeed.” He set his glass back on the table and leant forward, forearms resting on his knees. “You know that the TARDIS can travel in time as well as space?”

“So you have said.”

“Well, we’re going to try to go back in time and save the Megilly family’s freighter, or at least the crew. It’ll be tricky, we can’t do anything to interfere with Garten and his family escaping in their lifepod, so the TARDIS will need to materialise somewhere onboard that it won’t be spotted. Garten doesn’t know the fates of the other people on board, or what happened to their ship after they left, which means that altering events won’t change anything from their point of view. If there was a significant possibility of creating a paradox, I’d be wary of attempting it, but so far it’s looking good. From what the TARDIS tells me, the pirate ship’s hyperdrive engines were damaged in the battle; it’ll take weeks for it to get back here through normal space, which is why it hasn’t shown up yet. 

Now, obviously there’s no profit for the brigands in destroying the freighter; they’ll want to salvage everything they can, so chances are it’s still more or less in one piece, just drifting. Garten’s people might have been taken as slaves, but were most likely killed. I’m going to try to alter the outcome of the battle, change something that’s already happened. I’ve never done anything like this before, and I have no way of knowing whether or not I’ll be changing things for the better, so while I’d appreciate your help, it’s up to you whether you and your people stay on the space station or come with me. Before you decide, I should warn you; it could be very dangerous.”

Auber considered Ianto’s words carefully, finishing his drink before speaking. “You will be one man against however many brigands are attacking the freighter, and there is no guarantee that any of the freighter’s crew will be able to assist you.”

“I know, but I’ll have the element of surprise, plus I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Most importantly, if I do happen to get killed it won’t be permanent; one of the advantages of being immortal, though I’d prefer to avoid dying if at all possible. I’ve already died once; it’s not an experience I particularly want to repeat.”

“Understandable.” Auber’s nose crinkled up in a Tallan smile. “Therefore, I will accompany you, in case you need someone to watch your back, but I will send the young ones with the Megillys. I believe they would enjoy visiting the space station now that it is safe to do so, and they will be company for Surilla while her parents are busy.”

“Thank you, Auber, you’re a true friend.” Ianto laid his hand briefly over the Tallan’s. “I appreciate it more than I can tell you.” Rising to his feet, he stretched and yawned. “Well, now that’s decided, I suppose we’d better get some sleep ourselves. This is one adventure we’ll need to be at our best for!”

 

OoOoOoO

 

The next morning after breakfast, all the companions gathered in the console room, feeling surprisingly refreshed; Ianto suspected the TARDIS had done something to the flow of time within her walls so that everyone could get a full night’s sleep while only two or three hours passed outside. 

It was still relatively early in the space station’s day, but even so, by the time they reached the atrium in front of the security HQ, where Commander Bain and her troops were billeted, there were already hundreds of people milling about. Men and women in steel grey uniforms were moving among the complainants, handing out paperwork to be completed in order to speed up the investigation process. 

Garten and Jessa approached one of the uniformed personnel, collected the necessary forms, then found a place they could sit to fill them out, while Izelle and the Tallans took Surilla and Henty to play with the children of the other complainants. They were all so busy that Ianto and Auber were able to slip away without anyone noticing and return to the TARDIS, where they’d left her posing as an inconspicuous doorway on a side street. With a muted whooshing sound she dematerialised….

 

OoOoOoO

 

…and re-materialised in the cargo hold of the Megilly family’s freighter.

“We’re there… um… here already?” Ianto hadn’t expected to arrive so quickly.

“Yes, Ianto. By my reckoning, the brigands will commence their attack in ten earth minutes,” the TARDIS replied

“Oh. Right. It occurs to me that we don’t really have a plan; I thought we’d have time to work something out on the trip. Guess I forgot to factor in the whole time travel bit. Ah well, from what Jack’s told me, the Doctor never seems to have much of a plan; maybe improvisation is the key to success. A suitable weapon would have been nice though, a stun gun, a sonic screwdriver maybe. I don’t think using a handgun aboard a spaceship would be a very good idea.”

“I have taken the liberty of constructing some suitable equipment.” The TARDIS sounded smug. “There is a small sonic modulator, quite basic in design, but it will open locks and disable hand weapons among other things. The other device, I believe you would describe it as a taser, though it is not necessary for it to make contact with the person you wish to incapacitate. It is effective over a distance of two metres.”

Ianto approached the console and picked up the two devices. The taser was about the size of a cell phone and a similar shape, with a simple button trigger that could easily be worked with the thumb of either hand. The sonic modulator looked more like a slim torch; it had ten settings that could be selected by means of a sliding lever, and a two-way on/off switch. Both devices were designed so they could be operated one-handed. He was still studying them when the freighter’s alarms started to sound.

“The freighter is under attack,” the TARDIS informed him, rather unnecessarily.

“I gathered that. Looks like this is where things get interesting!” Ianto turned to Auber, who was dressed in lightweight body armour, provided by the TARDIS, and carrying a short staff with a sharp blade, similar to a traditional Tallan hunting spear. “Ready?”

Auber bared his teeth and wrinkled his nose. “Indeed. We have a battle to win!”

“Hopefully we can keep the actual battling to a minimum!”

Slipping out into the cargo hold, the two friends made their way to the access door, opening it by means of a very earth-like wheel mechanism, much like the one that opened the hatch to Jack’s quarters back at the Hub. Ianto swallowed hard and pushed the memory away; now was not the time for reminiscing.

Outside in the corridor, they could hear the distant sounds of people running, and the ship shook as the brigands fired on it again. The freighter was returning fire, Ianto knew, but soon it would be boarded. There were whole families on board, including children; the best course of action would be to get all non-combatants into the TARDIS where they would be safe, then the rest of the crew would be able to fight without distractions.

‘Which way is the bridge?’ As Captain, Garten’s brother was sure to be there. 

‘Turn left and follow the corridor to its end. There is a short staircase down to the main corridor, turn left again and the main control room will be right ahead of you.’

Ianto set off at a run with Auber jogging along behind him. The Tallan’s legs might have been on the short side, but he could still move pretty fast when necessary, and easily kept up. They saw no one in the access corridor; the crew would be elsewhere, manning the weapons systems and getting their families into the lifepods, just in case. Checking on the cargo would be considered low priority. It was a different matter when they came down the stairs into the main corridor; there were people everywhere, running in both directions, visibly worried but not yet panicking.

It was too much to expect that they could pass unnoticed; among all the humans thronging the central corridor, Auber was hardly inconspicuous, being hairy all over and decidedly non-human. Nevertheless, despite the surprised looks they got from the crew, no one tried to stop them. Perhaps it was the way Ianto was dressed, in a smart suit and tie, his hands empty of weapons, or perhaps it was the air of calm authority he’d perfected during his years with Torchwood, but the mass of people seemed to part in front of him as he and Auber strode the short distance to the bridge, entering through the wide double doors.

In his head, Ianto heard the TARDIS informing him that the lifepod containing Garten and his family had launched. Moments later, the calm voice in the back of his mind reported that the pod had been hit, damaging its life support systems, but had successfully engaged its hyperdrive engine. Now was the time to begin re-writing events.

The brigands were preparing to board, their small shuttles already launched, getting into position to dock with the freighter’s airlocks as soon as the ship’s shields were knocked out. They were taking a huge risk considering the firefight going on around them, but Ianto supposed the risk was balanced against the need to board whatever vessel the were attacking as quickly as possible. There wasn’t going to be much time to organise an effective defence.

“Berrin Megilly!” Ianto’s voice cut through the hubbub, and silence fell as heads turned. Ianto strode towards the captain, a stocky, dark-haired man a few years older than Garten but bearing a strong resemblance to him. Berrin snatched an energy pistol from where it lay on the control console, within easy reach, pointing it at Ianto, who didn’t even glance at it. Getting killed would be inconvenient and waste valuable time, but it wouldn’t be fatal so he ruthlessly shoved the thought out of his mind. There were more important considerations right now than his own life and in a corner of his mind he briefly wondered when he’d acquired Jack’s gung-ho gene. ‘I’m becoming just like him, not caring about my own life!’

“Who are you? How did you get on board my ship?” 

“Ianto Jones, at your service,” Ianto gave a curt bow. “I’m a friend of Garten’s, I caught your mayday signal, thought you could use a hand.” He nodded to the viewscreen where the pirate vessel could be seen powering up its weapons again. “They mean business and I don’t think your shields will take another hit.” Red lights were flashing on the console; the freighter’s shields were on the verge of collapse. “I can help with that if you’ll let me.” He produced the sonic modulator as if from nowhere. In truth, he’d had it tucked up his right sleeve, but the cheap theatrics were effective. Ianto was a little surprised that Berrin didn’t shoot him.

“How do I know you are not one of them?” Berrin gestured with his free hand at the ship visible on the screen.

“You don’t, and convincing you will take too long.” Ianto looked Berrin right in the eye, unflinching. “You can trust me or not, your choice, but you don’t have much time to decide; the next shot will likely take your shields out, and when that happens you’ll be boarded. I can buy you some time; enough maybe to get most of your people to safety on my ship while the rest of us prepare to mount a counterattack, but we’re cutting it a little close for comfort.”

Berrin hesitated for a split second longer then lowered his gun, stepping away from the shield controls. “I must be mad,” he muttered. “Know that if you’re lying, you and your companion will not be leaving here alive.”

Ianto didn’t respond to the threat, simply stepped up to the control console and followed the instructions the TARDIS was giving him; flicking several switches on the array in front of him, he knelt and opened the front panel, aiming the modulator at the shield circuitry inside and pressing the button. The little device lit up with a throbbing hum and the flickering lights on the console steadied, turning green.

“Okay, that should hold for two, maybe three more hits, but we need to move fast. Round up your families, my friend here will get them aboard my ship. I parked in your cargo hold; hope you don’t mind.”

“Your ship is inside my ship? How is that possible?”

“Long story, and there really isn’t time to explain, even if I could. To tell the truth, I don’t completely understand it myself. My ship is quite extraordinary, and right now, she’s the safest place for anyone who’s not going to be involved in defending your ship.”

Berrin nodded sharply. “Very well.” He turned to one of the crew, “Keep targeting the pirate ship’s propulsion systems and weapons arrays. If we can disable them before they break through our shields, we might stand a chance.”

The freighter shook as the other ship scored a direct hit, but the shields held.

“We need to hurry.” Ianto’s voice was strained; he wished he had a better plan, or any plan for that matter. How did the Doctor not give himself ulcers? Improvisation in the face of danger was terrifying, but he needed to stay calm. He could have a nervous breakdown later.

“Madrin, Shay, gather the children and seniors, go with this gentleman.” Berrin gestured towards Auber.

“Sir!” A red-haired woman and a man with greying hair jumped to follow his orders.

“I hope your ship will be big enough.” Berrin looked worried, “Between the crew and their families, there are two hundred and seventeen people on this ship. Nearly half are either children, the elderly, or those too frail to fight.”

“There’ll be more than enough room, don’t worry,” Ianto assured him. “You’ll need your people at every airlock, armed and ready to take on the brigands when they try to board. Make no mistake, they’re just waiting for the shields to fall, then we’re going to have a fight on our hands.”

“We will be ready.” Berrin turned away, calling out orders to crewmembers. Ianto remained where he was, standing in front of the main console, staring at the viewscreen and watching the pirate ship power up its weapons again. Another bone-shaking impact rocked them; the lights on the console flickered red, then back to green again. One more, two at the most, and they’d lose shields. Ianto prayed that Auber could get everyone who wouldn’t be fighting into the TARDIS before the freighter was boarded. They’d be safe there. 

Time to move.

‘Where will the brigands break through first?’ Ianto asked the TARDIS as he strode from the bridge.

‘The forward portside airlock; it is the closest to the bridge.’

‘That makes sense; take the bridge and you control the ship’s systems. Point me in the right direction.’

Back down the main corridor Ianto jogged, past the staircase leading up to the cargo hold access corridor, dodging through the throngs of people heading in the opposite direction towards the safety of the TARDIS. Thirty metres along the main corridor, there was a passageway leading off to his right and Ianto swung into it, breaking into a run, flanked by members of the ship’s crew heading in the same direction, Berrin bringing up the rear. The passageway led into a corridor that ran along the port side of the ship, and turning right again, Ianto could see the airlock set into the bulkhead at the end. He slowed to a walk as Berrin caught up with him.

“Do you have a plan?”

“Nope! I’m making it up as I go along. Fun, isn’t it?” Inwardly, Ianto rolled his eyes; he must be channelling the Doctor. Either that or the adrenaline rush was doing weird things to his brain.

“Are you insane?” Berrin looked at him, aghast.

“It’s a distinct possibility.”

Ianto was surprised when Berrin laughed. “It would seem that I must be as well, for it takes a madman to follow a madman.”

“Then I guess we’re both in good company.” Ianto smiled wryly.

The freighter lurched again, sending the armed crewmen staggering into one another. Ianto rebounded off the bulkhead and landed in a heap on the floor, any dignity he might have had obliterated. Some things never changed.

‘How are the shields?’ he silently asked his TARDIS as he hauled himself upright again.

‘Weakening. They will not withstand another hit.’

“We’ll lose shields on the next hit,” he told Berrin and the other crewmen and women around them.

“How do you know these things?”

“I’m in contact with my ship via an implant.” Ianto tapped his ear; it was a lie but Berrin would find it more understandable than the truth. “She’s monitoring your systems and the activities of the brigands through your ship’s sensors. Three quarters of the non-combatants are aboard her, the rest are in the hold, with a few stragglers in the access corridor. They’ll all be safely inside soon, so that’s one less thing to worry about.”

‘The pirate ship’s weapons systems are powering up again.’

“Brace for impact!” Ianto shouted, the command being relayed to the people standing ready at the other airlocks via hand-held communication devices. This time when the ship shook, most of them stayed on their feet, but the lights flickered and dimmed as the ship’s systems switched over to auxiliary power. “Get ready, everybody; company’s coming!”

The crewmembers readied their weapons, spreading out as much as was possible in the confined space. Ianto set his taser on full power, hoping he wouldn’t accidentally hit any of the crew in the upcoming fight.

‘Ianto, the brigands are armed with shock-grenades; if they go off, everyone in range will be incapacitated. You will need to use your sonic modulator on setting seven to disable them.’ 

‘Oh joy. I really hope I don’t miss. What do these things look like?’ 

‘They are small sphere, perhaps three inches across.’

‘Explosive cricket balls, perfect! Can today get any better?’

‘I cannot tell at this point; time remains in flux. However, I suggest you select the modulator’s wide beam option, then you should not have any difficulty aiming, despite their relatively small size.’

‘And where might I find that?’ Digging his right hand into his jacket pocket, Ianto pulled out the modulator, his thumb sliding the lever to the correct setting.

‘Turn the emitter ninety degrees clockwise.’

As Ianto followed the TARDIS’s instructions, he called out to Berrin. “Captain, warn your people that the attackers are likely to be armed with shock-grenades and will probably deploy them as soon as the airlock doors open.”

“Relay that!” Berrin shouted to one of the crew. “Should we draw back?” he asked Ianto.

“Sonic disrupter.” Ianto waved the device. “If I get this right, we won’t have to worry about them, but this is the only one I have. The rest of your crew will need to hold back until after the grenades go off.”

In front of them on the panel beside the airlock, lights turned green and with a hiss, the pressure door began to open, two small spheres rolling through as soon as the gap was wide enough. Ianto hit the button on his sonic modulator, playing the invisible beam over them and mentally keeping his fingers crossed since he didn’t have a free hand. The grenades made a spluttering sound, a pop, and then the sides fell off. It was rather anticlimactic, but the relief was short-lived. 

Distantly, Ianto heard the concussive blasts of other grenades detonating, but by then he had other things to think about.

 

OoOoOoO

 

The battle was mayhem; close quarters fighting against an unknown number of attackers in a confined space was far from ideal, and Ianto had the TARDIS in his head giving a running commentary on the situation at the four other airlocks too. 

It was making his head spin. Auber was back in the connecting passageway, the last line of defence, ready to deal with any brigands who managed to break through. Ianto hoped it wouldn’t come to that. 

Everything seemed to be happening at once. Weapons fired continuously and people from both sides were falling, Ianto could only hope that his side was suffering fewer casualties; it was impossible to tell.

How long the fighting continued, probably only the TARDIS knew, and Ianto wasn’t about to ask. It felt like eternity. At one point, he was hit in the chest by an energy pulse and fell, getting trampled underfoot even as he felt the wound healing. He spared a split second to mourn the damage to his suit, then tasered one of the brigands in the ankle and another in the knee as he scrambled back to his feet, kicking the weapon out of the next attacker’s hand and getting a flash of déjà vu as he shoved the taser against the man’s forehead and pulled the trigger, an expression of grim satisfaction on his face. All the exercising and training he’d done in the TARDIS’s gym was paying off; he was in better physical shape than he’d ever been, but even he was getting winded.

Somewhere out in the black, the pirate ship, which the freighter had been firing on almost continuously, exploded in a brief burst of flame quickly extinguished by the vacuum of space.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Ianto walked slowly among the freighter’s crew, helping out with emergency repairs wherever he could, aided by the TARDIS’s vast store of knowledge. As often as not, helping meant holding something in place while someone who knew what they were doing fixed it, but Ianto didn’t mind, at least it meant he could be of some use. 

The battle was over, the brigands, those who had survived, were disarmed and restrained. They were a surly bunch of ruffians, lowlifes who’d been hired and equipped by Pax to stalk the shipping lanes, raiding any ships that were refusing to pay the exorbitant tolls Pax demanded for safe passage. It was safe to say they’d raided their last ship; they’d be turned over to Commander Bain when the freighter made it back to the space station. Ianto doubted they’d see the light of day for a very long time.

The freighter’s crew had suffered casualties, but fewer than Ianto had feared, given the level of fighting; four killed outright, nine in critical condition and a further twenty-eight with non-life threatening injuries. Ianto had the most seriously injured taken aboard the TARDIS where they could be treated in her automated infirmary. One of them was Madrin, the red-haired woman from earlier, looking small and frail now that she was unconscious. She was Berrin and Garten’s younger sister and Ianto felt a stab of guilt that she had been injured.

Berrin, it seemed, could read his thoughts, or perhaps just guessed what was going through his head from the expression on his face. “Madman you may be, but you bear no blame for any of this. We were battling for our home and for our very lives,” he said quietly sometime later as they stood together in the infirmary, checking on the injured. “We are fortunate not to have suffered far worse losses. Your ship assures me that the injured should recover; without your assistance, we might have lost everything, not least our lives. We owe you a debt of gratitude.”

Ianto shook his head. “You owe me nothing, Berrin. Those marauders had to be stopped, too many people have suffered at their hands; at least now they’ll face justice and hopefully pay for their crimes. Things will be different in this sector of space in future. Perhaps you’ll be able to extend your trading routes after all.”

“Perhaps. First, we must make our way to the space station you have spoken of. That will take time.”

In a reversal of previous events, it was the freighter’s hyperdrive engines that had been damaged rather than the pirate ship’s, ensuring that it wouldn’t arrive at the station until after Pax and his minions had been taken into custody. Ianto intended to take the slow road back with them. He couldn’t arrive back there before he’d left without risking a paradox, so he might as well stay aboard so that the injured could continue to be treated aboard the TARDIS. 

In the aftermath of the battle, there were still a lot of repairs to be done and the whole ship was a mess. Maybe he could help with the cleanup. At least that was something he knew how to do.

TBC in Chapter 20


	20. United In Sorrow And Joy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Megillys are reunited with the rest of their family, and Ianto gets information that might lead to a long awaited reunion of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Spoilers:** CoE, House of the Dead.
> 
> Written for Challenge #124: United at fan_flashworks.

Not wanting to worry Garten and his family, or Auber’s people, Ianto and the TARDIS decided to leave the damaged freighter when it was still three days out from the space station and travel through the void to arrive a few hours after they’d left. That way they could prepare their friends for the ship’s arrival

Before departing, they said their farewells to Berrin and all the people they’d come to know and like while working alongside them over the last few months, promising to see them again when they arrived at the space station. Everyone who was able had pitched in to clean up the mess and fix the damage sustained during the attack, but although the interior was more or less back to normal, the ship would still need to dock at the space station in order to repair the damage to its outer hull and hyperdrive engines. 

During the long trip, Ianto had told Berrin much of what had happened to his younger brother, but assured him the family were fine. He’d been surprised when Berrin had seemed just as concerned about Surilla’s pet as he was about his kin.

“That Quoat is a pedigree animal, very valuable,” the captain had explained. “I suspect she was a large part of the reason Garten chose to abandon ship with his family. The litter of kits she carries will bring in more money than all the rest of our cargo put together. It is miraculous that no one stole her!”

“Obviously no one on the space station was aware of her value. Perhaps Quoats are common in this sector.”

“Perhaps,” Berrin had agreed. “Whatever the reason, I am glad she too is safe. Surilla would be devastated to lose her.”

Now he shook Ianto’s and Auber’s hands; the Tallan was becoming accustomed to the human gesture, though it still felt awkward to him.

“Farewell, my friends. It has been an honour and a privilege to work alongside you.”

“We’ll see you in a few days,” Ianto told him with a smile. “Hopefully by then repairs to the lifepod will be underway and assistance will be available for the hull work on your ship. I’ll do what I can to make arrangements in advance of your arrival; we can stay in touch using the radios.” The TARDIS had manufactured a communication device to allow Ianto and Berrin to communicate easily despite the intervening distance.

“Then at least allow me to wish you safe journey, and thank you once again for all you have done for us. It is no small thing to save the lives of so many.”

“I just wish we could have saved everyone,” Ianto replied sadly.

All but two of the injured had survived and were now fully recovered, including Madrin, who stood with her oldest brother to see the TARDIS crew off. Sadly, two of the most severely injured crewmembers had been beyond saving, even with the TARDIS’s state-of-the-art medical equipment. The entire crew, along with their guests, had been united by their shared grief as they consigned the bodies of their six lost friends to the vacuum of space in a joint funeral. It had been a simple but deeply moving ceremony and had reminded Ianto of the burden he now shared with Jack; to live forever, watching everyone he ever met age and die. He had to remind himself that although six lives had been lost, many more were still alive because of what he’d done. The rescue mission had been a success, so why did he feel like he’d failed? Jack’s words came back to him. ‘No matter how hard we try, or how much we want to, we can’t save everyone.’

“In such a battle, lives were bound to be lost. We were fortunate to lose so few. The best memorial there can be to those who fell is to live our lives as well and as happily as we can, so that their loss was not for nothing.”

“You’re right, and we will. Safe journey to you too, Berrin; drive carefully!” Ianto gave the gathered crew a jaunty wave and followed Auber into the TARDIS, who had taken on the rather incongruous appearance of a large antique wardrobe during her time aboard the freighter. There was a joke in their somewhere, Ianto was sure. As the door closed behind him, he heard the familiar sound of dematerialisation and knew even without looking that the people gathered in the cargo hold would be watching in amazement as the extraordinary craft vanished before their very eyes.

 

OoOoOoO

 

They landed in a different corridor to the one they’d left from, just to be safe; time-wise, pinpoint accuracy was difficult to achieve and they didn’t want to accidentally land on top of themselves. Besides almost certainly causing a paradox, it would be decidedly awkward and inconvenient.

“We have been gone for three hours and forty-seven minutes, earth time,” the TARDIS informed him.

“Excellent! Close to when we left, but not too close. I’d better see how things are going out there. I hope we weren’t missed.”

Back in the atrium, Ianto and Auber soon spotted their friends seated at one of the desks that had been set out in order for Commander Bain’s troops to take statements. They were talking to a uniformed officer who was going through the forms they’d filled in.

“Ianto!” 

Turning, Ianto saw Surilla and the younger Talllans waving to them, so they strolled over to join them.

“Hello, what are you doing?”

“Playing catch.” Surilla held up a pink ball to show him. “Why are your clothes different?”

Ianto leant against the railing that encircled the atrium. “We had to run an errand and my other suit got dirty.” That was an understatement. After the battle, he’d found there was a ragged hole burned right through the front of his jacket, waistcoat and shirt where the blast from the energy weapon had hit him. The charred fabric had been stained with his own blood as well as other people’s, transferred to his clothing when he’d been helping to move the injured to the TARDIS.

“Where did you go?”

“It’s a surprise. I’ll tell everyone once we’re back in the TARDIS, but first I need to talk to someone in charge. I’ll be back in a few minutes, okay?” 

“Okay.” She skipped back to her playmates.

Ianto chuckled. Surilla, as adaptable as all young children, had picked up quite a few modern expressions, much to her parents’ bewilderment. Leaving Auber with the others, Ianto set off across the atrium towards the old security HQ. Inside, a young female soldier stopped him.

“Can I be of assistance, Sir?”

“I hope so. There’s a freighter approaching the station, about three days out; it was attacked by brigands and took some pretty severe damage. I told the captain I’d see if I could make arrangements for repairs when it arrives. They lost their hyperdrive engines during the fight so they’re having to take the slow path.”

“Of course. Let me just consult with the commander.” 

She strode over to a tall, black haired woman and saluted smartly. Ianto couldn’t hear what they said, but the young woman returned after a few minutes holding a slip of paper.

“Are you in contact with the freighter?”

“I am.”

“Good. Commander Bain requests that you instruct the captain to make contact on this frequency when they have the station in sight; he will then be given docking instructions. A specialist crew with engineering bots will be waiting, ready to assess the damage and commence repairs.” She handed Ianto the paper.

“Thank you.”

“I must ask… The brigands, are they still out there?”

“No. Their ship was destroyed in the battle, but many of the brigands were taken prisoner when they attempted to board the freighter. I hope you’ll be able to find somewhere to put them.”

The woman smiled in satisfaction. “That is good to hear. I feel sure we can find somewhere suitable for them. Now, if you will excuse me, there is a lot to be done. Good day, Sir.”

Dismissed, Ianto returned to the others, joining in the game of catch until Garten and Jessa finished with their interview and joined them. Together, they trooped back to the TARDIS.

 

OoOoOoO

 

“I am sure this is not where we left your ship before.” Garten sounded puzzled.

“No, you’re right.” Ianto ushered the last stragglers through the door, following them in and closing it behind them. “We had to pop out for a bit, there was something important that needed to be done.” Turning away, he set about making coffee for the adults, and hot chocolate for Surilla. Once the drinks were served, he settled himself into one of the chairs around the table shared by Garten and his family.

They sipped their drinks in silence for a few minutes until curiosity got the better of Garten.

“If I might ask… What was so important that you would leave us without saying anything?”

Ianto set his mug down and looked at the three adults across from him. Surilla was sitting with the Tallans, looking at the shells they’d collected on the beach a few weeks earlier, completely absorbed.

“I didn’t want to get your hopes up, in case there was nothing I could do, but I went looking for your family’s ship.”

Garten’s eyes went wide and Jessa beside him gasped, gripping her husband’s arm. Izelle squeezed her daughter’s other hand.

“Did you find her?” Garten sounded as if he wasn’t sure he wanted an answer to that.

“I did. There’s something I haven’t told you about the TARDIS; she’s not just a spaceship, she can also travel in time.” He let that sink in for a few moments before continuing. “She and I, we’re both new to travelling through time. It’s complicated and there are laws that have to be respected, because failure to do so can be catastrophic. We had to go over everything very carefully to ensure it would be safe to attempt to change the past, but we were lucky; the attack on your ship occurred far out in space. Isolated incidents are by far the safest to change, where they have no noticeable effect on anyone except those directly involved. Your ship sustained a lot of damage, but she’ll be docking here in approximately three days.”

“They are alive? Our family and friends?” Jessa could scarcely believe what Ianto was telling them.

“Most of them, yes, but I’m sorry to report that six of the crew lost their lives during the attack. I wish I could have saved everyone, but it just wasn’t possible; the fighting was too spread out and I could only be in one place at a time. There were quite a lot of injuries too, but they’re mostly healed by now.”

“Ianto, I do not have the words to thank you.” Garten reached across the table to clasp Ianto’s hands in his own. “This is a gift beyond anything we could ever have hoped for or even dreamt of; our family safe and returning to us. The lost lives are cause for sorrow, and we will mourn them when we are once again united with the rest of our people; their sacrifice will not be forgotten. And yet, the loss of six of our number is small compared to the loss of all. Generation upon generation of our family will remember what you have done for us and honour your name. You too will forever be remembered by us as a true friend.”

Izelle and Jessa nodded agreement, smiling through tears of joy for the saved and sorrow for those who had fallen.

Touched by their gratitude, his eyes misting over traitorously, Ianto smiled back. He had to clear his throat before he could reply.

“You’re welcome. Your family are good people, they didn’t deserve what happened to them.” He frowned, correcting himself. “I mean they didn’t deserve what would have happened to them but didn’t. Or something like that. Time travel plays hell with tenses.” He could feel the TARDIS’s amusement tickling the back of his mind. “Whatever. Trying to save them was the right thing to do; I would never have forgiven myself if I hadn’t at least attempted it. I’m glad it worked. Now, why don’t you all go down to your rooms and the TARDIS will set up a radio link so that you can speak to your people in private.”

When the Megilly family had left the console room, Ianto joined Auber who, now seated on the floor, was regaling his people with the story of his and Ianto’s adventure through time. The young Tallans listened avidly, exclaiming in wonder, amazement, horror, and excitement. Well used to listening to tales of the great deeds of their ancestors, they were an appreciative audience, and Auber was such an accomplished orator that even though Ianto had been in the thick of it all himself, he was soon swept up by the tale, cheering and applauding with the others as Auber told of the crew’s victory over the brigands.

 

OoOoOoO

 

The three days passed astonishingly quickly as Garten and Jessa consulted with the engineers repairing their lifepod in between talking to the people on the freighter via radio. Ianto passed on commander Bain’s instructions to Berrin as soon as he got the opportunity, and with a day still to go, everything was set for the ship’s arrival. The members of the Megilly family were too excited to sit still and kept themselves busy helping others when they weren’t occupied with their own tasks. They were making a lot of friends and contacts among the various races that inhabited the space station, which would bode well for future trading opportunities.

Ianto used the last day to go shopping for gifts for the Megilly family. Once the extended family was reunited, he would be leaving and he wanted to give them something to remember him by, though Garten assured him that he and his ship would be impossible to forget. In the course of his shopping trips, he stopped by the black market’s current location to see Burl Three-toes, as he’d been asked.

“There y’are, Des! Been wonderin’ what happened to ya in all the bustle!” Burl slapped him on the shoulder, almost knocking him to his knees and Ianto elbowed him in his soft belly in retaliation, earning a surprised ‘oof’ and a booming laugh.

“I’ve been keeping busy; there’s a lot going on with so many people about, never know what titbits of information you might pick up. For instance, a freighter from out of system will be docking tomorrow afternoon. They were set upon by some of Pax’s hired enforcers, but won the battle, taking their attackers prisoner and destroying their ship. Anyone who can do that is someone it would be better not to cross.”

Burl looked thoughtful. “Aye, they wouldn’t be good enemies to have. I’ll spread the word to be respectful around that ship and its crew. Keep on their good side!”

Becoming all business, Ianto cocked his head and met Burl’s eyes. “So, you said you had something might interest me?”

Burl nodded. “That I did. Come on, I’ll buy ya a drink and show ya.” He led the way to a stall set up as a kind of bar selling various alien liquors. There were rickety tables and chairs set up in shadowy corners and after getting their drinks, they seated themselves at a table well away from the few other drinkers, making themselves comfortable.

Ianto took a long draught of the dark red alien beer that was his usual poison. It was surprisingly refreshing and he’d developed a taste for it, partly for the pleasantly mellow taste and partly because it had almost no effect on the human metabolism; he’d need to consume several gallons to get even close to drunk. Burl, on the other hand, would be falling over after six pints and comatose after eight. Ianto figured that gave him an advantage in negotiations, and Burl always admired his ability to hold his liquor.

When they were on their second pints, Burl dug into one of the capacious pockets of his coat and pulled out something wrapped in rags, pushing it across the table to Ianto. “Take a look, see what ya think.”

Ianto, or more precisely Des, had let it be known that he was interested in anything of earth origin; he was considered somewhat eccentric in that he favoured antiques and books most of all, but since he was willing to pay good money for something he considered desirable, the other black marketeers kept their eyes open. Carefully unwrapping the cloth covering, Ianto studied the object within. The book was beautiful and clearly old, it’s ornate leather binding scuffed and worn by many years of handling. Approximately ten inches by six, its pages were an array of hand-painted colour plates depicting flowers. Looking at the spine, he could just make out the title: Flora of the British Empire.

“Pretty. Where’d you find it?”

“Stolen goods. This nasty piece of work, government enforcer, been linin’ his own nest at the expense of the people. Bunch of us decided he were gettin’ too powerful, so we paid ‘im a visit, took everything he had, split the lot between us. I spotted that there an’ nabbed it as part o’ my cut. What ‘d’ya think?”

Ianto studied the book again. “Hmm. It would fit well in my collection, if the price is right.” He tilted his chair back against the wall behind him, preparing to negotiate.

“Nah, you can have it, figure we all owe ya’ a little somethin’ fer gettin’ Pax out of the picture.” Burl leant forward then and lowered his voice. “Got some information might interest ya too though, an’ that’s gonna cost ya’.”

Carefully re-wrapping the book, Ianto put it into his old rucksack. “Okay, I’ll bite.”

“It’s ‘bout that man I ‘eard you’re lookin’ fer.”

That got Ianto’s full attention and he narrowed his eyes, leaning forward across the table, forearms resting on the scarred and pitted surface. “What’ve you heard?”

Burl wagged a meaty finger. “Now then, payment first, ya know the score.”

“And how do I know what the information’s worth before I hear it?”

Burl chuckled. “Yer a sharp one, Des, always liked that ‘bout ya! Okay, ‘ere’s the deal; I can tell ya’ where the one ya’s lookin’ fer is goin’ ta be in seventy days.”

“And how would you know that?”

“I know ‘cause I seen ‘im myself. Used ta crew fer a freighter out of Orlosk, got kicked off fer smugglin’ illegal substances but I still got friends aboard. Stopped by ta visit with ‘em twenty days back, they still travellin’ the same route, I knows their schedule, where they gonna be and when. Saw they got a new crewman; he weren’t wearin’ no long coat, but it were the one you’re lookin’ fer, sure as we’re sittin’ ‘ere. Bet me soul on it.”

Ianto would willingly have paid anything Burl had asked for that piece of information, but he haggled anyway to keep up appearances, finally handing over the agreed amount in universal credits.

“Now give.”

Burl grinned toothily as he pocketed Ianto’s money.

“Space station on th’ edge o’ the Fralix Nebula, orbits a planet called Reptanotis Major. People call the place The Wheel ‘cause o’ the way it’s shaped. Freighter docks there in seventy days, lays over for a ten-day, crew furlough."

After all this time, Ianto couldn’t believe he was so close to finding Jack again, especially since he’d thought that once before only to have his hopes dashed.

“This pans out, I’ll owe you one,” he told Burl.

“Ya already paid me just fine, Des. You take care o’ yerself.” Burl staggered to his feet as Ianto rose smoothly from his own chair. “Ya matched me pint fer pint an’ look at ya, steady as a rock! Yer somethin’ else! See ya around!”

“Count on it.” Ianto slapped Burl lightly on the arm, making the alien grab the back of a nearby chair to stay upright, laughing uproariously, before the two went their separate ways.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Ianto and the Megillys threw a party in the gardens of the TARDIS for the freighter’s crew on their arrival. As soon as the ship was docked and the formalities taken care of, the TARDIS, with everyone on board, materialised back in the ship’s hold once more and opened her doors. The Megilly family were in the console room to greet their family and friends as they trooped inside. Taking off their shoes, they padded barefoot along the broad corridor leading to the garden room, where Ianto and the Tallans waited.

The TARDIS had grown long tables at one side of a wide, sunlit meadow bordered by trees, and by now they were laden with food and drink for the celebration. Some of the freighter’s crew brought musical instruments with them and soon the air was filled with music and laughter as everyone rejoiced at being united once more with their loved ones.

The children ran about, playing tag, and catch, and other energetic games with the Tallans, until worn out, they sat on the grass and listened with rapt attention to Auber telling them stories about his home and people. Everywhere around them, hundreds of the tiny, brightly coloured birds Ianto had bought so many months before flitted about, pecking up crumbs and meeping merrily, adding their voices to the cheerful cacophony.

Ianto sat beneath a tree a little apart from the gathering, resting his back against the broad trunk, smiling as he watched everyone having fun. 

‘It is good to see such happiness,’ the TARDIS murmured in his head.

‘Yes it is. After all they’ve been through, they deserve this,’ Ianto replied silently.

‘You wish your captain were here to share this happy occasion.’

‘Is it that obvious?’

‘Perhaps only to me.’

‘If Burl’s information is correct, then I know where he’s going to be in less than seventy days.’

‘Do you doubt him?’

‘No, but I got my hopes up before. I’m not going to make that mistake again. Anyway, there’ll be time enough to think about that tomorrow. For now, I should probably be celebrating with my friends while they’re here.’

Putting thoughts of the future firmly out of his mind, Ianto stood up, dusted off his trousers and went to join the party.

TBC in Chapter 21


	21. To End Is To Begin Anew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that he has a solid lead to Jack’s whereabouts, Ianto has decisions to make. But elsewhere, Jack has obligations that he can’t ignore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Challenge #126: The End Of The World at fan_flashworks.
> 
>  **Spoilers:** For CoE, House of the Dead, Miracle Day. (Pleae bear in mind that I never saw Miracle Day, so if I've made factual errors, then just treat them as an AU version).

With the farewell party over and the Megilly family safely ensconced with their family and friends aboard the space station while their ship underwent repairs, Ianto returned to the TARDIS and made his way straight to his suite. He had one hell of a big decision to make.

On the face of it, it appeared simple; now he knew exactly where Jack would be on a given date, they could just jump ahead a couple of months and find him again, but… 

He sank down in his favourite chair, kicked off his shoes and massaged his temples; his mind was in a whirl. He desperately wanted to see Jack again, but there were other things to consider. It had been well over a year since Ianto had died at Thames House; what if Jack was with someone else by now? Yes, he knew Jack had loved him, but that didn’t mean he was going to mourn his loss forever, and if he’d fixed his Vortex Manipulator, who knew how much time might have passed for him? It might have been years, decades, maybe even longer. Not that Ianto would blame him if he had met someone; no one should have to be alone, least of all Jack, who had all eternity stretching out in front of him.

‘So do I now,’ he reminded himself. It was a sobering thought.

But what would it mean for him if Jack had indeed moved on? Was Ianto himself destined to be alone for all eternity? Well, no, he had his TARDIS, but that wasn’t the same as having someone to snuggle up to at night, a hand to hold, a familiar smile to lift his spirits when he was feeling down. Without consciously realizing it, he knew now that he’d been counting on having Jack to share everything with once he found him again. Now he had to consider the possibility that he might not get what he wanted.

Then there was Auber and the other Tallans. He’d promised to do his best to get them back to their homeworld, but so far they hadn’t made much progress beyond ruling out a lot of planets that weren’t the one they were looking for. Of course, they could pick up the search for Talla once Jack was aboard, assuming he was interested in travelling with them and hadn’t already made other plans, but…

Ianto sighed and flopped back against the cushions, grudgingly admitting to himself that there were some aspects of his new lifestyle that were harder to adjust to than others, especially for someone who had always lived linearly until now. Despite being able to travel in time, he couldn’t shake the feeling that by jumping ahead to find Jack, he’d be wasting two months that could have been used to continue their search. He just couldn’t make up his mind what to do and it was driving him nuts. Maybe he should sleep on it, make up his mind in the morning.

With that much decided, he abandoned his chair in order to get ready for bed, finally crawling beneath the covers and falling into a restless sleep filled with troubled dreams.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Light years away and almost a month earlier, on a freighter in the depths of space, Jack looked at his Vortex Manipulator and frowned; it was beeping, signifying an incoming message and there was only one person it could be from. Well, two if you counted John Hart, but the less Jack thought of his ex-Time Agency partner the better. If he never saw Hart again, it would be too soon. He debated whether or not to open the message; he was due on shift in an hour and still needed to get breakfast.

The Vortex Manipulator wasn’t his original; that was locked safely in the stasis vault he was renting on Paramian. This was one that he’d cobbled together from the parts of three broken ones he’d brought from earth, found in the Torchwood archives many years ago and kept in his box of photographs, and some circuits he’d picked up on his travels before finally leaving the Fiori Winnik. With the help of Chief Engineer Jazzek, he’d been able to piece them together into a basic working VM even though a few of the more esoteric applications hadn’t been fixable. It would be good enough for whatever he might need on his travels and it meant he could avoid risking the precious recordings stored on the original. Besides, on this one the teleport almost worked, and the time travel function was potentially fixable, given time and the right tools, even though neither would have the range of his original, which was a much newer model. Tinkering with it gave him something to do during his off hours; the recalibrations were fiddly and couldn’t be rushed.

He’d tuned it to the same frequency as his own, so that Gwen would be able to contact him if she ever really needed him. He’d posted a package to her before going to meet her on the hilltop outside Cardiff; it would have reached her a few days after he’d left. In it had been money for her, Rhys and their baby, a few small gifts, and a letter giving her his VM frequency and telling her to memorise it. It was for dire emergencies only, he’d told her; nothing less than the End of the World would bring him back to earth, the planet held too much pain for him. But he owed her, and earth itself, that much at least. If this message was from Gwen, and it almost certainly was, then something seriously bad was happening. He wasn’t at all sure he was ready to face her, or deal with saving the world again; it was still much too soon. Nevertheless, a promise was a promise, and anyway, Ianto’s family was still back there, and he had to protect them at all costs. 

Reluctantly, he keyed in the combination to accept the incoming message and grimly listened to what she had to say. When it was over, he wearily rubbed his eyes. 

Jack’s personal world had ended when Ianto had died and he’d been forced to sacrifice Steven, destroying any hope of reconciliation with Alice that he might have had. Now, apparently the actual world, the earth at least, might be about to end for real, and Gwen wanted him to help prevent it. Going back there was the last thing he wanted to do, he was only just starting to pick up the pieces of his life, but from what Gwen had told him in her message, things were about as bad as they could get. He didn’t have any choice; no matter how much it pained him, it looked like he would have to return to earth and play the hero again, for the sake of those he’d lost as well as for those he’d left behind. 

The captain wasn’t going to be pleased when he didn’t show up to unload the cargo, but that couldn’t be helped. Shoving his few possessions into his bag, Jack changed into his own clothes leaving his crew overalls on his bunk, and slipped quietly off the ship onto a dock just coming alive as the space station switched over from night shift to day. First thing to do was to find passage on a ship heading to one of the space ports nearest to earth. From there he could buy, borrow, or steal a small craft to take him the rest of the way. 

He shivered despite the over-warm climate aboard the station; being back on earth was going to rip open barely healing wounds again. He wasn’t looking forward to this trip one bit.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Talking things over with the Tallans the following morning failed to help Ianto make up his mind on a course of action; they were willing to do whatever he wanted. Despite missing their homes and families, they were enjoying seeing so many new and strange things, and helping other beings. As Auber said, “If it is our destiny to find Talla, then find her we will, when the time is right. Meanwhile, we are learning a great many things to share with our people if we are fortunate enough to rejoin them one day. You have been more than kind to us, and we are content.”

Still, a decision had to be made, so after considering every option, he finally settled on one, still not sure if it was the right one.

“Okay, here’s what we’ll do. We know where we’re going and when we have to be there, so we’ll head in that direction checking out all the planets and ports en route. Who knows, we might catch up with Jack before we even reach where he’s supposedly headed. When we get to Reptanotis Major, then we’ll make a little jump in time to arrive at The Wheel the day before the freighter is due to dock. That’ll give me time to look around the place and find the best vantage point for watching the crew disembark. Burl says anyone not involved with offloading the cargo goes on leave as soon as they arrive in port; the cargo handlers follow once their job is done. If Jack really is on board, then he’ll probably be among the last off.”

“Do you doubt your friend’s word?”

“No, Burl wouldn’t deliberately send me on a wild goose chase, but he’s not human and the man he saw might just look very similar to Jack. He was certain, and he’s usually pretty good at recognising individuals of any species, but until I see this crewman with my own eyes I’m not going to get my hopes up. We’ve missed Jack before.” 

Nevertheless, despite his words, Ianto couldn’t help hoping, just a bit.

 

OoOoOoO

 

The journey to The Wheel proved uneventful. Ianto did as he always did, visiting the black markets at each port of call, hoping to pick up more hints regarding Jack’s whereabouts. He’d been half joking earlier when he was talking to the Tallans, but he honestly wouldn’t object if they did manage to catch up with Jack a bit sooner. It would save him a great deal of stress and worrying. 

Not that his enquiries did him any good, except that he picked up a few more interesting objects to add to his collection, including a small pewter model aircraft on a solid wooden stand which he intended to give to Jack as a Welcome To Your New Home gift. Ianto hoped he’d like it, a small reminder of the planet that had been his home for so many years.

Along the way, he and the TARDIS studied the planets they encountered from space; none of them matched Talla, having too few moons, only one sun, or atmospheres that would be toxic to the Tallans, and yet Auber and his people remained philosophical.

“If we found our home before we reach your destination, then we might never meet the man you seek, and I should dearly like to,” Auber explained. “I have listened to your tales of his exploits with wonder; it would be an honour to meet so great a man.”

“I know he’d be very glad to meet you too,” Ianto said with a smile as they sat talking in the console room one evening. They’d just left the last planet along their route and were due to arrive at the space station orbiting Reptanotis Major the following afternoon. “I’m nervous,” he admitted. “It’s been a long time since I saw him. What if he doesn’t want to travel with me?”

Auber wrinkled his snout, amused. “Who in all of the universe would refuse the chance to travel in this wondrous ship? I cannot believe that your captain would say no.”

“That’s true,” Ianto agreed with a grin, sipping his coffee, but still in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but worry. Would this be the end of his search or another disappointment?

 

OoOoOoO

 

Ianto had found the perfect vantage point from which to watch the Oglosk’s crew disembark, and he hadn’t glanced away for a moment. Fifty-three assorted humanoids had left the ship, singly and in small groups, but none of them had been Jack. That didn’t mean he wasn’t still onboard of course, the cargo still had to be offloaded and the crewmen responsible for that task wouldn’t go on furlough until the job was done, but he was starting to have a sinking feeling. So when he spotted a tall, thin being in clean, smart clothes leaving the ship, he stepped forward to talk to him. Surely this had to be the freighter’s captain.

“Excuse me, good sir,” he said deferentially, bowing, “may I speak with you?”

“Certainly, my good man,” the other responded, bowing in return. “How may I assist you?”

“You are the captain of this fine vessel?” The freighter was actually on the shabby side, but Ianto was hardly going to mention that; it wouldn’t be good manners.

“Indeed I am. Captain Riek at your service. Do you perhaps have cargo you wish to transport?”

“Jones,” Ianto introduced himself. “Sadly, I have no cargo at present.” He sounded as regretful as he could manage. “However, I have been given to believe that a person I am seeking might currently be in your employ. I have not seem him disembark, so may I ask, do you recognise this person?” He showed captain Riek a picture of Jack.

“Him!” the captain spat. “Indeed I know him. Skipped out on his job around ninety days back, left me short one cargo handler.” He stared suspiciously at Ianto. “He a friend of yours?” Now he knew that Ianto wasn’t a potential client, the captain had dropped his air of civility.

Ianto’s heart fell like a stone, disappointment cutting so deep that he felt as if his whole world was disintegrating. Jack had been gone before he’d even been given the information that led him here. Once again fate seemed determined to keep him and Jack apart. He couldn’t let the captain see how devastated he felt; that wouldn’t get him the information he needed. Besides, any sign of weakness might be ruthlessly exploited.

“Owes me money; been chasing him for months.” Ianto dropped easily into his familiar role, sounding disgruntled.

The captain nodded sympathetically. “Doesn’t surprise me. He had a good gig going here, but he ever shows his face again he won’t be getting a second chance, I can tell you. I can’t be having unreliable crew; everyone has to pull their weight on a ship like this. Only good thing was, he left without drawing his pay. Probably on the run from you.”

“Probably. Thank you captain, I apologise for taking up your time, I know you must be busy.”

“No trouble; always busy in this business. Good luck to you, hope you get your money.” The captain strolled away and Ianto turned back to where he’d left the TARDIS, a cloud of gloom hanging over his head. What was he to do now?

 

OoOoOoO

 

The world hadn’t ended, though it had been a close call. The trip had been every bit as harrowing as Jack had been expecting, from an emotional standpoint. He’d gone through the mill physically as well, rendered mortal and suffering the various pains and discomfort that came from taking days, even weeks, to heal from injuries that would normally have healed in less than an hour. He was almost glad to be immortal once more; there were some aspects of being mortal that he really didn’t miss.

He was also glad to be leaving earth again. Next time the earth needed saving, it could save itself. He’d sacrificed more than enough for its continued existence, any debt he might have owed to its people must surely have been paid in full after the whole Miracle fiasco. He should have known by now; you just can’t go back home. Things had changed, and not in a good way. Earth and all it stood for was in his past now; no matter what happened, he wouldn’t be returning again. He hadn’t laid his ghosts to rest, but he’d made a sort of tentative peace with past events. Perhaps now he could remember the good but move forward with his life. At the very least, he was going to try. 

Some people hadn’t come out of the situation quite as well as Jack had, and as he fired up his small scout ship’s engines and prepared to leave the planet that for a while he’d thought of as home far behind, he spared a brief thought for those who had lost their lives, Gwen’s father and Esther among them.

And then there was Rex Matheson. Celebrating his newfound invulnerability, he’d been showing off when he’d got himself killed again. Turned out his immortality hadn’t been the same as Jack’s after all; it had been a one-shot deal, and the second time he died had proved permanent. Jack found he had mixed feelings about that. On the one hand, it would have been good to have another immortal to talk to, someone to share his endless existence with. On the other hand, Rex was the last person he would have chosen; the man was bad-tempered, had no sense of humour, and all the charm of a lump of concrete. Jack had tried to get him to test his healing powers before doing anything potentially fatal, but as usual, Rex hadn’t been interested in anything he had to say, and now he was dead. Jack refused to feel guilty about that, he wasn’t responsible for the man’s choices; Rex had been plenty old enough to make his own decisions. Unlike Ianto.

‘I shouldn’t have let him go with me to Thames House.’

Wiping away sudden tears that blurred his vision, Jack punched a couple of buttons, pulled back on a lever, and the small craft leapt upwards, as eager as he was to leave this planet far behind as he headed out into space once more. 

Where he would go, Jack had no idea, but he had the whole universe and all of time spread out before him so he supposed it didn’t really matter where he started. As soon as he was far enough outside the earth’s atmosphere, he set destination coordinates, engaged the hyperdrive engines and slipped into the vortex. Travel through the vortex itself was handled by the autopilot system; it would signal him when they were approaching his chosen exit point. With nearly a full day to kill, Jack rose from the pilot’s chair, stretched, and slipped out of his coat. The replica, picked up soon after his arrival on earth, was a pale shadow of the real thing, a thinner fabric that hung limply from his shoulders with none of the flair and drama of the real thing, but its lighter weight had made it more comfortable in the heat of California, so he supposed it had served its purpose. Briefly, he considered jettisoning it as soon as he regained normal space, but even though it was only a substandard copy, or more likely because it was, it gave him something he could wear without worrying about damaging it. The fit was good, it was just the fabric that let it down, and truth be told, he felt undressed without his trademark coat. Maybe he could find a good tailor and get a few copies made in more durable and appropriate fabric. It wouldn’t hurt to have a few spares.

With that thought, he folded the coat, crammed it into one of the small lockers and with a bit of effort, managed to get the door shut. Stripping down to his underwear and stowing his clothes in another locker, he opened what appeared to be a long, narrow cupboard below the row of lockers, pulling the door down to form a narrow bunk, already made up. He stretched out on it on his back and folded his hands behind his head. First thing he’d need to do would be to stop and pick up supplies. After that, who knew? Going over his shopping list in his head, Jack drifted off to sleep, to dream, as he so often did, of the days when he’d been Captain Jack Harkness, with his beautiful Ianto by his side.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Far, far away aboard his TARDIS, Ianto settled down in his own big, lonely bed to sleep, dreaming of Jack, wondering if he would ever find his captain again.

 

TBC in Chapter 22


	22. Sleepless In Space

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Light years apart, Ianto and Jack are both reluctant to sleep and trying to find ways of occupying themselves through the long hours that lie ahead of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Challenge #127: Sleepless at fan_flashworks.
> 
> **Spoilers:** CoE, House of the Dead, Miracle Day, Doctor Who: The End of Time Part 2.

Sleeping hadn’t lasted long. After less than an hour, Ianto had snapped awake in a cold sweat, sitting bolt upright having dragged himself out of a nightmare in which he’d spent eternity searching for Jack and always just missing him. He hoped and prayed that wasn’t a premonition; it sure as hell wasn’t the way he wanted to spend the rest of time.

One thing was for sure; he wasn’t going to be sleeping anytime soon, not after that. After a quick shower to freshen up, he dressed comfortably and made his way to what had once been intended as the Library, once it grew big enough, but was now his cosy study cum office. The new, much bigger library was now at the end of the hall.

Plucking a book from the shelves, he settled into an easy chair, putting his feet up on the footstool in front of it. Perhaps reading would help to calm his mind; it usually did.

Unfortunately, this time proved to be the exception to the rule; he couldn’t concentrate on the words, his mind spinning in circles and his emotions swinging from one extreme to the other. He was depressed about missing Jack one minute, then angry with his lover for being so elusive the next. With a heavy sigh, he set the book aside. 

“What do I do now? It’s like he’s determined not to let himself be found!”

“That seems unlikely,” the TARDIS replied quietly. “He does not yet know that you are alive and searching for him.”

“I know, but that doesn’t mean he’s not hiding from someone else. Or something else. Jack always blames himself when bad things happen. Maybe it’s the past and his own memories that he’s trying to escape.”

“That is not logical.”

“People aren’t exactly logical.” Ianto smiled slightly. “Just because something is impossible doesn’t stop us from trying to do it anyway.”

“But failure is inevitable.”

“Yes, but at least we know we tried. That’s all that really matters to us; that we tried, even if there was never any chance of success. Humans are remarkably stubborn and persistent.” He chuckled slightly. “Just as well really, because it’s that aspect of human nature that’ll keep me from giving up. Jack got away again, but he’s still out there somewhere and I’ll keep looking until I find him. So, back to the search pattern we’ve been using. It got us information once; it will again, no matter how long it takes. Something made Jack leave that ship; I need to find Captain Riek again and ask him where it was that Jack disembarked. Then we need to go there and see if we can pick up his trail. Any idea where Riek is at this moment?”

The TARDIS was silent for a few minutes as she accessed The Wheel’s security systems and made a search using the station’s version of CCTV. “Captain Riek is drinking at a bar called the Blue Fountain. It appears to be one of the higher class establishments in the business district.”

That made sense. From what Ianto had seen of the Oglosk’s captain, Riek was a bit of a snob; he wouldn’t want to socialise with his crew in the port’s seedy dives and brothels, he’d mingle with businessmen and other ships’ captains, beings he considered his peers.

“Well, I’ll just change into something more respectable and see if he’ll let me buy him a drink!”

 

OoOoOoO

 

It had been three days now since Jack had left earth. He’d slept for several hours during the first transit through the vortex, waking in tears from dreams of Ianto that had felt so real he hadn’t dared close his eyes since for fear that he’d never want to wake up and face reality again. Since then, he’d drifted to one world then another, unsure what to do now that he had his own spacecraft. There were too many choices and the freedom to go wherever he wanted felt unnatural. Maybe it would be best to sell the little scout ship and sign on with another freighter.

The events of Miracle Day were still clinging to him though; not just what had happened to him but all the memories evoked by being on earth around familiar things. Suits, coffee, the smell of the ocean, the familiar sun and moon and stars of the planet that had for a while been his home… All those things brought back poignant memories of Ianto and threatened to shatter his slowly healing heart all over again. He needed time to get his head straight again and that was easier to do alone than surrounded by strangers.

Before leaving earth, he’d made a brief pilgrimage to Cardiff where he’d visited Ianto’s grave. It had been hard to do, but he was glad he’d done it, especially when he’d learned the cemetery was about to be sold off to the highest bidder and the burials moved. After a bit of wrangling, he’d succeeded in buying it, simply by making an offer so high that the competition dropped out. He’d then gifted the site to a nature conservation society. That one patch of land now had protected status; no one would ever be allowed to build on it because of the wild creatures that made their homes there in the undergrowth and several shady pools that were dotted among the graves. That was the excuse, anyway. Jack thought Ianto would approve; he’d always been fond of wildlife. 

Knowing that his Welshman could rest in peace, undisturbed for eternity, made it easier for Jack to say goodbye and leave him behind again. For as long as the earth existed, he’d be able to return from time to time to visit Ianto’s final resting place; there was some peace to be had from that knowledge, but at present what he needed most was to find a way to put the past and everything in it behind him, where it belonged; only then would he be able to move forward with his life. Perhaps in time he would discover a new sense of purpose, but for now he’d have to be content to just exist day to day until he could regain the mental and psychological balance he’d gained so briefly after his time aboard the Fiori Winnik and then lost through being compelled to return to earth too soon.

The space station he was on now was just like so many others he’d visited since leaving earth after Ianto’s death; Jack wasn’t even sure what it was called. He’d left his ship parked in the hangar reserved for shuttles and other small craft, then set out to find a bar where he could get a drink without being expected to socialise with the other drinkers. Just because he didn’t feel like talking to people, it didn’t mean he should hide away on his own; that wouldn’t be healthy. Besides, if he wasn’t going to sleep then he might as well do something useful with his time, and bars were good places to pick up information from overheard conversations. Anything to keep from brooding. And who knew? Maybe he’d hear something that would help him decide where to go next.

He didn’t rush his drinks, nursing each one as he sat, silent and thoughtful at the bar. Drinking slowly like this, he’d never get drunk, his strange healing abilities neutralising the alcohol before it could have any effect on him. Despite his good intentions, he soon found himself thinking about Ianto. He wasn’t really surprised; the man he’d loved and lost too soon was never far from his thoughts. Slowly he sank into a distant reverie, tuning out the arguments and sounds of merriment that surrounded him, thinking of happier times when he’d had everything he could ever have wanted without ever realising it. The old adage was true: You never know what you’ve got until it’s gone.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Captain Riek wasn’t hard to find, and it was simple for Ianto to pretend that he’d run into him by chance. His offer of a drink was graciously accepted, the good captain obviously thinking that anyone who chose to frequent such a high-class establishment must be the sort of person he’d want to spend time with.

They chatted about this and that over several drinks, Ianto politely enquiring about Riek’s fortunes on his recent trip, learning far more about the shipping business than he really needed to know in the process. In the end he didn’t even need to ask the question that had brought him to the bar in the first place.

“Lumetti is a bit out of the way, but that’s good for me; the people there are still setting up their colony planetside, they need everything and they’re willing to pay, I always make good profits there, four runs a year. After that I had a shipment to deliver to Wayside, heavy goods. That’s where the man you’re looking for jumped ship, left the rest of my crew struggling with the unloading, damn his eyes. Seems to me, if you’re looking to catch up with him that might be a good place to start. I’m well known there, got a lot of friends among the port officials. Tell, you what, you should talk to Mattheus Rober, he’s the port-master there, knows everything that goes on and he owes me a few favours. Just drop my name, say you’re a friend of mine, and he’ll help you out. If he doesn’t know where your thief went from there, he’ll ask around and find out for you.” 

“That’s very generous of you, Riek, I’ll be sure to do that.”

“Think nothing of it, Jones, men of the universe such as we are, we should help each other out where possible. You’re a splendid fellow for a human; I don’t like to think that miscreant left you out of pocket. It’s criminal! Now, perhaps you’d care to join me at the casino? I feel lucky tonight!”

Ianto could have made his excuses and left, but swept up on a wave of camaraderie, he agreed. Riek actually wasn’t bad company despite being a bit of a snob, and a visit to a casino in the company of a man who clearly knew his way around would at the very least be educational.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Jack’s reverie was interrupted by the bartender passing him a note. That was confusing to say the least. 

“From the man over there.”

Looking up, Jack saw the last person he really wanted to see: the Doctor. Oddly, the Time Lord made no move to approach him, merely nodding in the direction of the note. Jack opened the folded bar napkin and read the words: His name is Alonso. Well, that wasn’t what he’d expected to see. He’d thought it would be an apology at least. Sorry I wasn’t there to save the earth. Sorry you lost so much. Sorry for letting you down. But no, it was just an introduction. Whose name was Alonso and why should Jack even care? He looked back at the Doctor who, with the slightest movement of his head, indicated the seat next to Jack. Was the Doctor actually trying to set him up with someone? Didn’t he know what had happened on earth? Jack wanted to jump up, race around the bar, grab the Doctor by his coat lapels and shake him until the Time Lord’s teeth rattled, but what good would that do? Instead, he threw a sardonic salute the Doctor’s way and turned to the man sitting beside him.

“So, Alonso, going my way?” He wasn’t much more than a kid. So young that he reminded Jack painfully of the first time he’d met Ianto.

“How do you know my name?” 

At any other time, Jack might even have found him attractive. Still, the Doctor must have had a reason for introducing them. Maybe this Alonso was in need of help. If nothing else, having someone to talk to, maybe even flirt with a bit, might not be a bad thing. He needed to get used to being around strangers again, interacting with them. He was an ex-conman after all; maybe it was time he started brushing up on his half-forgotten skills. Flirt, make the guy feel at ease then find out what kind of trouble he was in that the Doctor expected him to help with. On board the freighter he’d kept to himself, not joining in with the other crewmembers’ conversations and roughhousing. Even though he still didn’t really feel up to socialising, perhaps it was time he started doing so anyway. Maybe that was what the Doctor was trying to tell him by introducing him to this Alonso.

“I'm kind of psychic.” He could be convincing at this, even though his heart wasn’t in it.

“Really?” Sceptical, but wanting to believe. That would make this easier.

“Yeah.”

“Do you know what I'm thinking right now?” Cautious, but definitely interested. This was almost too easy, and it felt like a betrayal of Ianto’s memory, just like that bartender back on earth had. Jack’s heart felt like a rock inside his chest even as he replied.

“Oh, yeah.” Just like riding a bicycle; you never forget how. “What d’you say we get out of here? Find somewhere less noisy, where we can talk without shouting?”

“Sounds good to me.”

Jack paid his bar tab and, rising to their feet, he and Alonso left the rundown bar.

 

OoOoOoO

 

The casino was loud but not too crowded; this was a place where only a certain class of people would find a welcome, no doubt there were other casinos that catered for the dockworkers and crewmen, and all the other ordinary working people. It amused Ianto that his alter ego, Des Llewellyn, would have been refused entry. Many of the games of chance were unfamiliar, though there were a few that Ianto had learned to play among the black marketeers. The TARDIS was watching everything keenly through his eyes though, learning fast and offering advice on which games to try; no one watching would know that he wasn’t the experienced gambler he appeared to be.

He cheated, naturally. When there’s a voice in your head telling you where to place your money, you don’t ignore it. The TARDIS made sure he lost often enough to make his wins believable, and Riek was winning fairly often too; their night at the gaming tables was proving a big success. The unlikely pair moved from table to table, winning at some, losing at others, laughing and encouraging each other. Despite his losses, Ianto’s initial stake had multiplied tenfold by the time the floor manager decided they’d won enough and suggested that perhaps they should cash in their chips. They didn’t argue; Riek was weary and more than ready to return to his hotel room, and Ianto hadn’t really needed the money anyway.

“Ah, what a night! One I shall not forget in a hurry, my friend!” Riek slapped Ianto companionably on the back. “Didn’t I say I felt lucky? Sometimes the luck shines bright, tonight it was our turn to feel the warmth of its light.”

“A grand night indeed,” Ianto agreed. He offered Riek his hand. “I think this is where we part ways; we both have our responsibilities and it’s about time I got back to mine.”

Riek clasped Ianto’s hand warmly. “The best of times must end. Perhaps our paths will cross again at some point in the future. May the luck continue to shine on you in your search.”

“And on you in your business ventures.”

Farewells spoken, they went their separate ways. 

Walking through the corridors, hands in pockets, Ianto felt uplifted. He’d needed a break, a distraction from his own problems, to give him some perspective, but now, reenergized, he was ready to get back to his search for Jack.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Midshipman Alonso Frame, one time crewman aboard the Titanic. His career in space had run into trouble and now he wasn’t too sure what to do. He told Jack the whole sorry story, about the sabotage that had almost crashed the Titanic into Planet Earth and how a mysterious stranger, the Doctor, had saved the day, and the ship. Not that it had been a total triumph, the Titanic was so badly damaged it would have been too expensive to repair and had instead been scrapped, which had left Alonso out of a job. He’d been stuck on the space station for a couple of years now, taking whatever work he could get to pay his way while trying to find a job on one of the many ships that docked there, but no one wanted to hire him, believing that his presence might jinx their own ships. He’d hoped, briefly, that the Doctor might invite him to travel with him for a bit, but that hadn’t happened. 

“Perhaps it was just as well, I have a feeling excitement and danger follow wherever he goes, and I’ve had more than enough of both to last me a long time.”

Jack nodded. “He tends to show up wherever there’s trouble, he has an instinct for it. He doesn’t cause it, most of the time anyway, but when he comes across trouble he sets things right.”

“You know him?”

“I travelled with him for a while, but something happened to me and now he can barely stand to be around me. I keep wondering if that’s why he didn’t show up when the world I called home was threatened and I needed his help. In the space of five days I lost everything that mattered to me, and I kept waiting for the Doctor to come and fix things, but he never did. He was my hero, but he let me down.”

“What happened? I mean, if you don’t mind talking about it.”

Surprisingly, Jack found he didn’t mind. Oh, talking about it still hurt like hell, but Alonso was a good listener and Jack found himself telling the young man everything. It felt good. The leaden weight inside his chest seemed to get a little lighter as he spoke of Ianto, his courage and selflessness, the way he’d stood up to the 456 determined that they wouldn’t take a single child.

“He was the bravest most caring man I’ve ever known. He meant everything to me; I loved him, but I never told him, not even when he was dying in my arms. I was afraid to, I didn’t want to believe I was losing him, like if I told him I loved him it would seal his fate, but now it’s too late and he never knew.” Jack wiped away the tears that were running down his cheeks. “I lost the man I still love, sacrificed my grandson, destroyed my daughter’s life, and all because I had to play the big damn hero.” He sounded bitter even to his own ears. 

“But you prevented all those thousands of children from being taken and harmed.”

“I did, but the cost… It was way too high.”

“It sounds to me like you didn’t really have much of a choice.”

Jack shook his head in denial. “There must have been a better way, and I should have found it. I was too sure of myself, too confident, and I’ll be paying for that arrogance for eternity.”

“What will you do now?”

“I don’t know. Find a way to make amends, balance the scales, make up for all my failures. Help people in need; something like that. I have plenty of time. What about you?”

Alonso shrugged. “Keep doing what I’ve been doing, work whatever jobs come along, try to save enough to buy passage back to Sto if I can’t get there working as crew. It’s probably going to take a while.”

It was impulsive, true, but if he was planning to help people in need then he had to start somewhere. Besides, this was his chance to help someone else the Doctor had abandoned; maybe it was a sign.

“There’s a spare bunk on my ship if you’re interested. It’s only a two-man scout ship, kind of cramped, but… well, the offer’s there, it’s up to you.”

“Are you sure you wouldn’t mind?”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I minded.”

“Then I guess I really am going your way after all. Thank you, Captain.”

“You’re welcome.” Jack meant it too; he’d been alone too long, it would be good to have company, maybe even a friend. Perhaps the Doctor had done something to help him after all.

TBC in Chapter 23


	23. Adrift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto makes another attempt to locate Jack, while Jack and Alonso run into some problems of their own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Challenge #128: Floating at fan_flashworks.
> 
> **Spoilers:** CoE, House of the Dead, Miracle Day.

Jack and Alonso weren’t lovers, and they never would be; Alonso understood that, knew that Jack was still grieving for a man he would probably never stop loving. Some day, maybe his heart would be healed enough for him to love again, but that day was still a long way off and Alonso had no expectations of any kind of relationship with the enigmatic Captain. It didn’t matter, what was developing between them was more than enough for both of them; companionship, even the beginnings of friendship, things neither of them had really expected to find.

After the first night, they seldom spoke of their pasts and for a few weeks they just travelled from world to world in the little scout ship, sharing the limited space amicably, never intruding on what little privacy was available. Just knowing that there was someone else there, that they didn’t need to be alone if they didn’t want to be, was reassuring. They were both only just starting to realise how lonely they’d been. 

They talked of the places they were going and the places they’d just left, about the different foods they’d sampled, the things they’d seen and the work they picked up here and there in order to buy supplies and re-fuel their ship. Sto was quite a distance from where Alonso had ended up, but now that he knew he was heading home, albeit by a rather roundabout route, he was in no real hurry to get there.

For his part, Jack was satisfied to just float along, living day to day, never making much in the way of plans, just finding out what worlds were near the one they happened to be visiting, picking one and heading there, as often as not just to see what it was like. If he and Alonso couldn’t decide between them which direction to go, they flipped a coin or found some other random way to choose, but most of the time Jack let Alonso make the decisions. As long as they avoided places Jack had visited before, he was… if not happy, then at least somewhat content. He still missed Ianto constantly, but he was slowly starting to heal.

When the cramped conditions started to become annoying, they traded their ship in for a slightly more spacious model and continued on their way in greater comfort. With room enough to carry cargo they did a little trading on the side to supplement their income, and their leisurely journey continued.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Ianto had opted to travel to Wayside in linear time rather than jumping backwards in time in the hopes of catching Jack when he disembarked from the Oglosk. Time travel was not always entirely accurate and if they miscalculated, they could easily miss him anyway and then risk crossing their own timeline in further attempts to get to the right point in time. Ianto was still more than a little nervous about attempting such complex manoeuvres in busy, bustling environments like spaceports, and anyway, he really couldn’t risk the paradox he might create if he ran into Captain Riek before they met. Who knew what effect that might have on his timeline? Perhaps with experience he and his TARDIS would get better at navigating the timestream, but right now they were still relatively new to the whole idea. It probably wasn’t a good idea to mess about when they didn’t really know what they were doing, or so Ianto told himself. 

As they didn’t stop anywhere else on their journey, the trip to Wayside only took them a few days and the TARDIS found an unobtrusive place to land where Ianto could mingle with disembarking passengers as though he had just arrived on one of the visiting cruise ships. Armed with a sheet of psychic paper, just in case anyone questioned his presence, he set out in search of the being he was to contact.

Matteus Rober proved easy to find, since he was in charge of the whole port facility, and he turned out to be as eager to help as Riek had said he would be, although there wasn’t much he could tell Ianto. In Rober’s office, they went over security footage covering the time the Oglosk was in port, confirming that Jack had indeed left the ship there. It brought a lump to Ianto’s throat to see his lover walking across the concourse, the first time he’d seen Jack since the House of the Dead. He looked weighed down, as if he were carrying a load far heavier than the half empty kit bag he had slung over one shoulder. His trademark WWII ensemble was nowhere to be seen; instead he was dressed in plain dark grey slacks and a lighter coloured shirt with a loose jacket over the top. It looked like he’d lost weight.

“Can you find out where he went from here?” Ianto asked calmly; he’d had a lot of practice at concealing his emotions and that talent had come in handy numerous times since he ventured out into space.

“There are people I can ask. Please, make yourself comfortable. I will have refreshments brought to you while you wait.”

“Thank you, that would be very welcome if it’s no trouble.”

“No trouble at all, anything for a friend of my good friend Riek,” Rober assured him. “I will return shortly.”

Ianto relaxed in a comfortable chair, browsing through brochures detailing Wayside’s many attractions and entertainments, and only a few minutes later, a small, green-skinned woman entered carrying a tray of assorted foods, a pitcher of iced fruit juice and a tall glass. The drink was familiar to Ianto, as were quite a few of the delicacies on offer; he’d sampled a lot of different foods since he’d left earth, his TARDIS instructing him about which were safe for human consumption and which were best avoided. He was pleased to see a generous serving of Saiyami among the selection that had been provided, having grown rather partial to the strange vegetable over the last few months, and he munched away contentedly on the crisp, spicy morsels while he waited for Rober to return.

As he’d promised, the Port Master wasn’t long, but the information he brought with him wasn’t as helpful as Ianto had hoped.

“The man you seek joined a high stakes card game, winning a great deal of money which he used to buy a small Kansa class vessel, a scout ship. He left Wayside as soon as the purchase was completed, but made no mention of his intended destination. I am sorry; I wish I could be of greater assistance.” He handed Ianto a small memory disk. “This contains all the information available on the ship he purchased, including the frequency and signature of its identification beacon. It may help you to track the vessel if you have suitable equipment, unless the beacon is tampered with in some way. People who do not wish to be tracked have ways of disguising or even disabling tracking beacons.”

Ianto sighed inwardly. It was a safe bet that Jack knew exactly how to avoid being followed and would have taken the appropriate action as soon as he was out of range of Wayside’s detection arrays. One more lead had run into a dead end. Ah well, back to the drawing board, and their original search pattern. He wasn’t about to give up, but he was realistic enough to know that there was nothing much he could do until he got another lead. He smiled at Rober and offered his hand.

“This was a long-shot at best; the man I’m looking for is skilled at hiding, he was never going to be easy to find. You have done all you could, and you have my thanks. If nothing else, I at least know what kind of ship he left here in. I will find him eventually.”

“Good luck to you, and if you ever happen to visit Wayside again, be sure to stop by for refreshments.”

“I’ll do that, Master Rober.” With a brief clasp of hands, Ianto turned away, returning to his TARDIS and heading out once more into the vacuum of space.

Throwing himself into one of the chairs in the Console room, Ianto tipped his head back and stared up at the vaulted ceiling. He was adrift again, a leaf on the wind, a rudderless ship tossed on an indifferent sea, floating around with no set destination in mind, pulled by the tides of chance… The TARDIS broke into his brooding.

“Where do you wish to go next, Ianto?”

“I’m not sure it matters. Perhaps if we just stop trying to find Jack, he’ll turn up.”

“That is not logical.” The TARDIS sounded vaguely disapproving.

“I know. That’s humans for you,” Ianto teased.

“Indeed. Very well, what do you suggest?”

“Pick a direction and see where we end up? Are there any binary systems nearby that we haven’t checked?”

“Fourteen within twenty light years of our current position.”

“Then let’s check them out, see if Talla is orbiting one of them. We can start with the closest and work our way outwards. Maybe stop in at any spaceports we happen to be passing along the way, just for a quick look.”

“You appear to be suggesting that we resume searching as before.” The TARDIS was clearly puzzled.

Ianto shrugged. “Can you think of a better idea? We’ll just start from where we are now instead of going back to where we were. Anything we missed in between can be checked out later. If we happen to run into Jack, that would be great. If we don’t… Well, we know he’s out there somewhere. Keep a look out for any ships like the one he bought back at Wayside; you never know, he might still be in the area.”

“As you wish. I think I will never entirely understand humans.”

“That’s okay,” Ianto said wryly. “Most of the time we don’t understand ourselves either. You’ll get used to it.”

 

OoOoOoO

 

Everything had been going so well until now, but after accidentally passing through the outer edge of a rather spectacular nebula, Jack realised they had a bit of a problem. The little scout ship was shuddering and making some rather ominous noises, and the power was fluctuating wildly.

“What’s happening?” Alonso sounded worried.

“We’re losing power, something in the nebula must have affected the ship’s power supply. I’ll have to turn off all non-essential systems to conserve power while I try to find the cause and fix it. That means we’ll be without propulsion, lights, and artificial gravity, we’ll be drifting. You might want to strap yourself in, unless you want to find yourself floating around near the ceiling.”

”What about you?”

Jack was digging in the locker where emergency equipment was kept. He pulled out a bundle of straps and held it up.

“I’ll wear this safety harness and secure myself to the bulkhead restraint rings. That’ll keep me where I need to be, and there’s a torch so I’ll be able to see what I’m doing.”

“Is there a second safety harness? You’ll need someone to hold the torch so you can use both hands for the repairs.”

Jack tossed the first harness to Alonso, digging a second out of the locker along with a magnetised tool kit, which he slapped against the bulkhead within easy reach of the panel behind which the ship’s energy systems were housed. As soon at they both had their harnesses clipped securely to rings set in the walls, Jack flipped a series of switches, turning off everything but their air recycling plant and heating. Alonso turned on the torch and held it steady as Jack removed the cover of the control panel and secured it nearby to prevent it floating around and causing damage. What he discovered inside wasn’t good news. Several of the power cells were completely drained and half the conduits that directed energy to the various systems appeared to be partially melted. Even the emergency backup power cells were dead.

“Damn. What a mess! There must’ve been a power surge, half of the couplings are fried.”

“Can you fix it?”

“Honestly? I don’t know. I can replace most of the fused couplings, and bypass the drained cells, but we’ll still only have about forty percent power. That’s not enough for a jump through the vortex and our last coordinates put us about two weeks away from the nearest port, travelling through normal space. If we only run engines and life support, we might make it halfway, but then we’ll be dead in the water.”

“I should have expected it to end like this; perhaps I really am a jinx.” Alonzo sounded resigned but calm.

“Hey, we’re not dead yet. There’s a blue button on the left of the flight console, you should be able to reach it from where you are. Punch it.”

Alonzo reached across and did as he was told. “What is it?”

“Distress beacon. Any ship that picks it up is obliged to investigate and offer assistance. I’ll do what I can to fix the damage; using only life support and minimal lighting, we’ll be good for six, maybe seven weeks. We’ll have to be careful with water, but we have enough food and emergency rations to last at least that long. Someone’s bound to find us long before that though, so don’t worry.”

“Can’t be worse than the Titanic.”

“You never did tell me the whole story about that.”

”Well, looks like there’ll be plenty of time to tell you now.”

“I can wait a little longer, I’m going to need a hand with the repairs. Under the emergency equipment locker is a storage box where the spare parts are kept. I’ll need the pack labelled power cell couplings.”

“Righto!” Alonzo unclipped himself and floated across the cabin to fetch what he’d been asked for while Jack set about removing the fused components. One way or another he was going to get them out of this mess, there was no way he was going to let another person who trusted him die, there’d been too much death in his life already.

 

OoOoOoO

 

They’d seen some beautiful sights along the way, though Talla had so far not been among them. They’d also encountered some thirty-four ships of the same kind as the one Jack had bought, but all of them had turned out to be piloted by non-humans. Ianto was trying to be philosophical as they drifted from one solar system to the next, but it wasn’t always easy to keep hope afloat. Nevertheless, he was determined to make the most of every opportunity for exploration and to let the Tallans experience as many of the wonders of the universe as possible. If they weren’t going to get home anytime soon, at least he could make sure they enjoyed the ride.

The TARDIS dropped out of the vortex at one point so they could all observe a comet, and later they landed on an uninhabited planet where they watched a spectacular solar eclipse. Now they were hovering at the edges of another nebula, Auber and his people as full of wonder as Ianto had been on seeing the Rosette Nebula right at the start of his adventures. It seemed such a long time ago.

Collecting the device the TARDIS had created for him back then, he took pictures of the new nebula so that he could eventually show Jack. He had a vast collection of images stored by now, photographs of all the places he’d visited and the amazing things he’d seen, and he knew he’d probably bore Jack silly with them, but he didn’t care. He’d lost all the photographs of his childhood, his family and friends; they were back on earth, far beyond his reach. All he had left of his old life were his memories and he was realistic enough to be aware that they wouldn’t last for eternity. 

All the pictures he was gathering would be memory triggers for the future when his recollections of this period of his life inevitably grew dim. People, places, amazing sights… the images, along with his new journals, would be his way of holding on to all his adventures. He’d already filled several volumes with everything he could remember of his years on earth, as well as all that had happened to him since he awoke in his TARDIS. He had an excellent memory, but the human brain only had limited storage space. Better to preserve everything while he still held on to the details.

He was snapping away happily with his ‘camera’ as they floated serenely around the nebula’s border when the TARDIS spoke urgently in his mind.

‘Ianto, I am picking up a distress beacon. There is a spacecraft in trouble.’

Ianto immediately turned away from the open doorway, crossing to the console in long strides and leaping up the steps. ‘How far?’

‘Approximately point seven three three light years from our current position.’

‘Lock on to the beacon and take us there.’

‘Estimated arrival time, seven minutes and fourteen seconds.’

The TARDIS doors snapped shut, making Auber and the Tallans turn to face their friend. “Ianto? What is happening?”

“There’s a ship in distress, we’re going to see if there’s anything we can do to help.”

”Is it under attack?”

“No way to know at this distance. I guess we’ll find out when we get there, which should be in just a few minutes.” He glanced up at the ceiling, speaking out loud to the TARDIS. “Better not get too close until we’ve had a chance to assess the situation.”

“I will pause to gather data as soon as the ship is within range of my sensors.”

“Perfect. Let me know what you find out.”

“Of course.”

 

OoOoOoO

 

Jack and Alonso had been adrift for almost six weeks. Jack estimated they had enough power and consumables for another three weeks if they stopped using the gravity generators entirely and only ate once a day.

“If no one’s found us after this long, it doesn’t seen likely that anyone’s going to.” Alonso, floating above Jack who was sitting strapped into the pilot’s seat, was slowly losing hope.

“Oh ye of little faith. The way I see it, the longer we wait, the more likely it is that someone will come along and rescue us.” Jack wasn’t about to give up, not after they’d survived this long. Someone just had to have picked up their beacon by now. 

“It’s alright for you. You’re immortal, if you die when we run out of power and air, you’ll just revive again when the ship is eventually discovered. I don’t have that advantage.” There was no animosity in Alonso’s voice; he was simply stating facts. 

They’d had a lot of time to talk over the last few weeks, sitting in the dark as much as possible to keep their power consumption to a minimum. Not being able to see Alonso’s face had made it easier for Jack to talk about some things he would never have mentioned otherwise, including his immortality and the Doctor’s reaction to it.

“Neither of us is going to die,” Jack replied firmly, hoping that it wasn’t a lie. “At the very least, the Doctor is bound to find us. You know how much he loves dramatic last-minute rescues!” Using his cobbled together VM to send a distress call to the Time Lord had been the first thing he’d done after repairing the ship as best he could.

“He does have rather a flair for the dramatic,” Alonso agreed.

Jack unstrapped himself from his seat where he’d been checking the status readouts of the ship’s various systems and floated up to join Alsonso. For the past few weeks they’d been living in zero gravity most of the time, except for an hour each day when they turned on the artificial gravity so they could exercise to maintain strength and muscle tone. Jack had wanted to keep them both in good shape for their inevitable rescue. From now on they’d just have to do their best to maintain their physical condition without that advantage. Exercising in freefall would be more difficult, but earth’s astronauts had managed it while living aboard the international space station so he wasn’t worried.

“So, did I ever tell you about the day the earth was stolen?”

“I don’t think so.”

Floating on his back, Jack folded his hands behind his head and launched into another story of his life, a sad, wistful smile curving his lips.

 

OoOoOoO

 

“The ship is within visual range,” the TARDIS announced. “Projecting on the viewscreen.”

Ianto stared at the field of stars that appeared on the screen over the central console and frowned. “Within visual range for you maybe. My eyesight isn’t that good; all I see are stars.”

“Apologies. I will increase magnification.” The screen flickered and a small ship appeared in the centre. It was drifting, dark and obviously without power.

“Well, it’s not under attack at least. What happened to it?”

“Scanning.” There was silence for several heartbeats, then the TARDIS spoke again. “The ship appears to have passed briefly through the magnetic field being emitted by a neutron star within the nebula, resulting in damage to and draining of its power cells. Power reserves are minimal, but life support remains operational; I detect two lifesigns on board.”

“Can you land inside the ship?”

“It is too small for my tree form, but there is sufficient space for one of my alternate, smaller forms.”

“Police box?” Ianto grinned.

“Compact and geometric, an ideal form for confined spaces. Perhaps that is why the Doctor chose not to repair his TARDIS’s chameleon circuit.”

“Makes sense. Okay, let’s go rescue whoever’s on board.”

 

OoOoOoO

 

The days were passing achingly slowly. They talked, slept, exercised, ate, talked more. It wasn’t an exciting existence, but at least they were still alive, which was better than the alternative.

The interior of the small ship was lit only by the glow from the nebula, visible through all the viewports along one side of the living area as well as those in the cockpit. It was a dull, pinkish glimmer, hard to see much by; even though their eyes had adjusted to it, unless they were in the cockpit or right beside a viewport, all they could really see of each other was a darker shape against the dimness. So when that strange, eerie, wonderfully familiar sound began and a blue light flared in the dimness, both Jack and Alonso were dazzled, almost blinded by the brilliance. They covered their eyes, wincing in pain and blinking back tears. In the confined space, the sound seemed deafening; they could feel it right down to their bones, but they didn’t care because at long last they were saved. 

As the sound faded to silence and their eyes became accustomed to the brighter illumination, they grinned at each other.

“Told you we’d be rescued! Looks like our ride has arrived.” Jack slapped Alonso on the back.

“Better late than never,” Alonso agreed, picking up the pack containing his belongings as Jack slung his own kit bag over his shoulder and tucked his replacement coat under one arm. Jack had insisted that they pack everything they wanted to take with them a couple of weeks earlier, realising they might not have the time or energy if help didn’t reach them until the last minute. After all, the Doctor tended not to hang around for long where Jack was concerned.

Less than a minute had passed since the TARDIS had completed her materialisation.

“After you!” Jack gestured towards the closed door and Alonso stepped ahead of him as the door swung open of its own accord to admit them…

 

TBC in Chapter 24


	24. What Once Was Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, to find something you’ve lost you have to stop looking for it…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Challenge #129: Amnesty using Challenge #72: Lost and Found at fan_flashworks.
> 
> **Spoilers:** CoE, House of the Dead, Miracle Day.
> 
> As I got so many eager reviews, I’m being kind and giving you the big reunion early. Hope it proves worth the long wait to get to this point!

Jack followed Alonso into the TARDIS, only to be faced by a console room with completely unfamiliar décor. It was airy and open, but the walls were wood panelled, and the floor, also of wood, sanded smooth and waxed to an almost mirror-like sheen. Comfortable chairs and sofas were dotted about around low tables, while several bookcases filled with books stood against the walls below framed pictures. There were even ferns in pots here and there. The place reminded him of one of those high class coffee houses where people would meet up with friends for a chat, an impression made all the stronger by the aroma of excellent coffee that filled the air. That scent alone brought a lump to Jack’s throat and tears to his eyes, forcing him to swallow hard and lock his knees so that he wouldn’t just sink to the floor in a sobbing heap. Had the Doctor chosen this design deliberately to mock him? He’d never really considered the Time Lord to be callous or cruel, although he could be both tactless and oblivious to other people’s feelings, but this…

In an effort to distract himself, he turned his attention to the console itself. Even that had changed, fitting in with the overall design; a circular wooden platform dominated the centre of the room, with several sets of steps leading up to it and gleaming brass safety railings around the edge. The control console rising from the centre of the platform was all wood and brass and sparkling crystal, with lights, switches, levers, dials and buttons all over it and several massive viewscreens suspended at strategic points around it, displaying views of the nearby nebula.

Everything was so different it seemed obvious to Jack that the Doctor must have regenerated again. A quick glance around didn’t reveal anyone who could possibly be the Time Lord, although there was a group of oddly familiar furry aliens standing off to Jack’s right. More memories flooded his mind. He’d seen people like these before; they were Tallans, he remembered, the aliens Ianto had spent some time with when he’d accidentally fallen through the Rift. He’d dubbed them Space Wombles because of their resemblance to the characters in an old TV series he’d loved as a child.

Jack was so caught up in the bittersweet memories his surroundings evoked that he didn’t notice the man who appeared from behind the console until he spoke, and then all he could do for what felt like eternity was stare. This couldn’t possibly be real, perhaps the entire rescue was just a dream and in reality the little scout ship was almost out of air. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d hallucinated as he lay dying.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Sometimes, Ianto reflected, you find what you’re looking for when you least expect to. Jack had been lost for so long by now that there had been times Ianto had almost begun to doubt he’d ever find him again, but there he was, large as life, standing in the TARDIS’s console room with a strange mix of expressions on his face; confusion, despair, wonder, grief, curiosity and wistfulness warred with each other, making the normally confidant man look oddly defenceless. He hadn’t see Ianto yet, he was staring at the Tallans who were looking back at him with curiosity and interest. He also wasn’t alone. A young and reasonably attractive man had been the first to enter. That was typical of Jack, always putting everyone else’s life before his own.

“Doctor?” Surprisingly, it wasn’t Jack who spoke but the other man.

“Sorry to disappoint,” Ianto replied, “but this isn’t the Doctor’s TARDIS. I apologize for any confusion; the police box was just the most convenient size and shape to fit into the available space. There’s not an awful lot of room in your ship, as I’m sure you’re aware.” 

Moving around from the other side of the console, he descended the steps and approached the two men, one looking curious and interested, the other, Jack, now staring at him as if he’d seen a ghost. Ianto couldn’t blame him for that, considering that until this moment Jack had surely believed Ianto to be dead and gone forever.

“Hello, Jack. Do you have any idea how long I’ve been trying to find you? Sorry, stupid question, of course you don’t. If you’d known, I’d like to think that you wouldn’t have been so elusive.”

Jack stared in disbelief at the vision approaching him. It took him a moment to find his voice, and when he did manage to speak, he sounded faint and shaky. “Ianto? Am I dreaming? You can’t be real.” If it was a dream then it was the most realistic one he’d ever had; Jack didn’t think he could have conjured so precisely from memory the mouth-watering aroma of Ianto’s coffee, something he hadn’t smelled in far too long.

“You know, that’s exactly what I asked myself when I first opened my eyes to find myself aboard a TARDIS. No, Jack, it’s not a dream. In fact, in a round about way, I think I probably owe you my life. Apparently, interesting things happen when a piece of TARDIS coral that’s been sitting around soaking up Rift energy for decades gets caught in an explosion and thrown into the Rift.”

Jack stared at him blankly, looking thoroughly confused. He knew Ianto was speaking to him, but he was too caught up in the familiar sound of his voice to register what he was saying. “Huh?”

“Never mind; long story, I’ll tell you everything later. There’s no rush.” By now, Ianto was standing just a few feet away from Jack and the other man, hands shoved in his trouser pockets, still unsure of how Jack was going to react, and wondering whether the other man was Jack’s new lover.

For his part, Jack was obviously having trouble getting his head around what he was seeing. “But you died! I know; I watched it happen, twice!” Tears were welling up in Jack’s eyes, disbelief warring with fragile hope in his expression.

“I know; I was there too. I died at the hands of the 456… do they even have hands? Never mind; doesn’t matter. Syriath brought me back somehow and then… Well, let’s just say blowing up the House of the Dead and sealing the Cardiff Rift had unexpected benefits. Not that I’m complaining; on the whole I much prefer being alive.” Ianto was aware that he was rambling a bit, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. He hadn’t expected to feel so nervous at finally seeing the man he loved again.

Jack just stared at Ianto, trying to make sense of what the man in front of him was saying. Once again, he seemed unable to either move or speak, struck dumb and all but paralysed by the impossibility of what he was seeing. 

Beside Jack, Alonso stepped forward, extending his hand. “Alonso Frame, former Midshipman aboard the Titanic, at your service. Uh, the space cruiser Titanic that is, not the old Earthian liner.”

Ianto, ever mindful of the importance of good manners, shook hands with the stranger. “Good to meet you, Midshipman Frame.”

“I just go by Alonzo these days. You’re really Ianto? Jack’s Ianto? It’s an honour to meet you sir, I’ve heard quite a lot about you over the last few months. Oh, and just so you know, Jack and I are just friends and travelling companions. He was kind enough to offer me a bunk on his ship when I found myself stranded. I think he only did it because we happen to have a friend in common.”

“Let me guess; the Doctor.”

“The very same. We sent him a message when we found ourselves in trouble, so naturally, when a TARDIS materialised in front of us, we assumed it was his.

“A very natural mistake,” Ianto assured him, “especially considering that until recently, he had the only known TARDIS in existence. Mine is comparatively young and not quite fully-grown yet; we’ve both still learners.”

“We have learned much already, but the universe is vast and full of so many things. I wonder if it is possible to learn everything.” The mellow voice seemed to come from the very air itself, startling Alonso and Jack.

Ianto simply smiled up at the ceiling as he replied. “The only way to find out is to try.” 

“And try we shall.” The tone was warm with affection. “I apologise for interrupting your conversation, but this is all very exciting.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s time I introduced you anyway.”

“Your TARDIS talks?” Alonso asked, wide-eyed.

It was Ianto’s turn to be surprised. “Of course. Doesn’t the Doctor’s?”

“Well, I don’t know, I never actually went inside,” Alonso admitted, “but I know Jack has and in all his stories of his travels, he’s never mentioned it talking.”

Ianto turned back to Jack, who hadn’t moved or said anything for a while. “Jack?”

The bag and coat Jack had been holding slid to the floor with a gentle thud. He was still staring at Ianto, as if afraid to hope or even blink in case he vanished. 

Ianto glanced back at his other new guest. “Um, Alonso, if you’d just follow that corridor there,” he pointed to the one leading to the residential level, “the TARDIS will guide you to your room.”

Alonso nodded. “Of course. I’ll leave you two alone. I’m sure you have a lot to talk about.” He strode through the archway and vanished from sight. The Tallans, Ianto noticed, had already slipped silently away. There would be plenty of time to introduce Jack to them later anyway, when he was less shell-shocked and hopefully, more coherent.

He approached his lover cautiously, not wanting to alarm him further. “Jack? Are you okay?”

Jack shook his head. “I don’t know. I want so badly for this to be real, but how can it be when I saw you die? I was at your funeral, and then at the House of the Dead… I wanted to see you so much, just one last time, so I could tell you all the things I never said when I should have, when you were alive, and so I could say goodbye properly. I thought you’d just be a ghost, but you were real and solid and it was wonderful and unbearable at the same time. I wanted to say to hell with everything and pull you out of there, take the chance that we could be together again, but you just had to be noble and brave and selfless and so much just _you_ … Ianto Jones, saving the world one last time. I died inside all over again. Losing you once was bad enough, but twice… My heart broke into a million pieces.”

He was crying now, tears streaming down his face, and Ianto took one last step towards his captain, wrapping his arms around him and holding him close. “I’m sorry, but I had to do it. I wanted to go with you more than anything, for a moment I couldn’t help thinking how good it would be, but the cost would have been too high. If Syriath had got out… Closing the Rift, defeating Syriath, that was more important than what I wanted, and if I hadn’t done it then everything bad that might have happened afterwards would have been my fault and I would never have been able to forgive myself. That was always the way of things with Torchwood though, wasn’t it? We always did what had to be done rather than what we wanted to do. Everything we did, every sacrifice we made, was for the greater good. I don’t regret staying behind; if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have the life I’ve got now, but I’ll forever regret what my choice put you through.”

“You feel real, you even smell real.” Jack’s voice was muffled because his nose was pressed against Ianto’s neck, breathing him in.

“I am real, Jack. All of this is real. I’ve got so much to tell you that I don’t even know where to begin, but there’ll be plenty of time for that later. Right now, this is all you need to know. When the House of the Dead blew up, I was thrown through the Rift and into the void beyond. The Rift slammed shut behind me and I should have died, I think I _did_ die, but the TARDIS coral was already there and growing. She was thrown into the void when the Hub was blown up. She grew around me, protecting me, and for some reason I’ll probably never really understand, because I was soaked in Rift energy or maybe because I’d been recreated by Syriath, I healed and came back to life. I’m not sure that I’m completely like you now, but near enough that it makes no difference. My TARDIS says I’m immortal, that even if I die I’ll come back again, just like you, and I believe her. You’ll never have to worry about losing me again, because I’m back to stay. And if you don’t believe me, we’ll just track down the Doctor, wherever he is, and freak him out completely. That should prove it,” Ianto joked, rubbing one hand over Jack’s back and pressing a kiss into his hair. “I’m right here, Cariad. I’m alive and I’ll never leave you again unless you want me to. I promise.”

It was a lot for Jack to take in, and most of it went right over his head, but Ianto’s last words sunk in, startling him. “I’ll never want you to leave me Ianto, I love you!” he sniffled against Ianto’s shoulder. “Sorry, I’m getting your suit all wet.”

“I love you too Jack, and you’ve got nothing to apologise for. Besides, I’ve got all the suits I could want now, and it won’t take much to clean this one anyway. If I’d known I was going to finally find you today, I’d have really dressed up, maybe even worn pinstripes and a red shirt, I know how much you like that combination,” he teased, getting a muffled and watery laugh in response. “C’mon, why don’t we go to my room? We can make ourselves comfortable on the bed, looks like you could use some rest.” He moved slightly, preparing to lead Jack from the console room.

“Don’t let go of me!” Jack clung on like a limpet.

“I won’t, it’s okay.” Shifting so he had one arm tight around Jack’s waist, Ianto scooped up Jack’s fallen baggage with his free hand, slinging the bag’s strap over his shoulder and tucking the coat under his arm. “I don’t know, just dropping your coat on the floor like that… Hey! This isn’t the coat I got for you in London! The fabric’s all wrong.” He sounded disapproving even to his own ears, and to his relief, heard Jack chuckle, sounding a bit more like himself.

“That’s my Ianto, always concerned about my coat. Don’t worry; the coat you got me is in secure storage on Paramian, with all my other valuables. This one’s a cheap copy I picked up on earth a bit back. Got an SOS from Gwen so I had to leave the ship I was working on and go save earth again.” He wiped tears away with the back of the hand not currently in use hanging onto Ianto. “Gods Ianto, going back there… It was so hard. I was mostly in America though, I didn’t spend much time in Cardiff, just stopped off there to visit your… grave before heading back into space.” Jack’s voice hitched as he remembered.

“So that’s why you weren’t on the Oglosk when I caught up to her at The Wheel.”

“You found the ship I was on?” They were walking slowly along the corridor, arms around each other’s waists, on their way to the stairs.

“Yep. I got a tip-off from a sort of friend of mine. Found the ship, talked to Captain Riek and found you’d already left; he was none too pleased. Decent enough guy though, told me where you’d probably jumped ship. I kind of lied to him a little, said you owed me money, and he was happy to help. Wasn’t the first time I’d just missed you either; I’ve been searching for you for the best part of a year. There were times I wondered if I’d ever catch up to you.”

“You have a time machine, couldn’t you have just gone back in time and picked me up after the House of the Dead was destroyed?” Now that he was moving instead of frozen to the spot, Jack’s head had cleared a bit, making it easier for him to think.

“Oh, I wish. That would’ve been so much easier. I can’t go back to earth though, the two explosions, the Hub and the pub, created a time/space bubble that keeps my TARDIS out. Between sometime in 1962 and 2122, I can’t get any closer to earth than outside the moon’s orbit.”

Jack stopped dead. “You can’t go home?”

“No.” Ianto smiled sadly. “I left letters for my family in a bank in 1960, to be delivered to them six months after my death, so at least they’ll know I’m okay. There was one for Gwen too, I’m surprised she didn’t mention it when she saw you.”

“Ah, she probably never got it. She and Rhys sort of went into hiding after the whole 456 thing.”

“That explains it. What about Rhi?”

“She and her family were fine the last time I saw them. Well, as fine as they could be after losing you. You don’t have to worry about them, they were well provided for in your will.”

“That’s good to know.” Ianto started them moving again, arriving at the stairs and guiding Jack downwards. “I wish I could have seen them one last time. I don’t even have a photo of them.”

“Yes you do. Or, you will. I brought a few things from your flat: your journals, your photo albums, a few other bits and pieces, some yours and some mine… I felt a bit bad about taking them, but I figure Rhiannon has photos of her own, and I just didn’t want to forget…” Jack trailed off, too choked up again to continue speaking for a minute. “They’re in storage with my coat.”

Ianto shed a few tears of his own. “Thank you, Jack. You have no idea how much that means to me.”

“Oh, I think I do.” Jack smiled softly, brushing away Ianto’s tears with his thumb. “You gave my family back to me when you found the memory globe I’d had as a kid on Boeshane. Looks like now I get to return the favour. When can we stop by Paramian and pick everything up?”

‘How long will it take to reach Paramian from here if we leave now?’ Ianto thought, hearing the TARDIS’s reply in his head almost immediately.

‘Eight point four days, Ianto.’

“We should be there in just over a week. We can send someone out to fix your ship and fly it to the nearest port. I know of several people who could make use of it if Alonso doesn’t want it. Unless you wanted to keep it yourself, that is.”

“Will I be needing a ship?” Jack sounded a little nervous.

“I hope not,” Ianto admitted. “I was rather hoping you might like to travel with me and my TARDIS. Well, I should say _our_ TARDIS since she grew from the coral you had on your desk.”

“My TARDIS coral?” Jack’s eyes went wide. 

“Yes, I told you, when the Hub blew up she got sucked into the Rift, along with a few other things.”

“Sorry, most of what you’ve told me hasn’t sunk in yet.” Jack sounded sheepish. “She’s grown a bit since the last time I saw her.” He looked around at the carpeted corridor they were walking along. “Ianto, if this is a dream, I hope I never wake up from it.”

Ianto tightened his arm around Jack. “I promise you’re not dreaming.” He pushed the door to his bedroom open, deciding that the replica of his apartment on earth would probably be a bit too much for Jack to deal with at the moment. “Here we are, home sweet home. What d’you think?” He ushered Jack inside, dumping the kit bag on the floor just inside the door and draping the impostor coat over the back of a nearby chair. It was such a poor replica; privately he thought it should be put out of his misery. The sooner they got Son of Coat out of storage, the better.

Stopping in the middle of the room, Jack looked around, taking everything in. “I like it, it’s very you.”

“I suppose it is. The TARDIS decorated it to suit my tastes after all.” He hesitated a moment, then decided he should probably be honest. “Jack, if you don’t mind my saying so, you’re a bit on the whiffy side. I think you could do with a shower. I’ve got some pyjamas you can wear. Okay?”

Jack chewed nervously on his bottom lip. “Come with me? I’m scared if I let you out of my sight you’ll disappear.”

“Not going to happen, but yes, I’ll come with you.” He led Jack by the hand over to the dresser and got out two pairs of pyjamas, burgundy for himself and slate blue for Jack. “We can be colour coordinated to match the room, he said with a wink, leading Jack into the bathroom and turning the shower on to warm while they both shed their clothes. “When you’re rested, we’ll go down to the wardrobe room, I’m sure we can find something more your style for you to wear.”

“Sounds good.” Jack let Ianto lead him under the hot water, luxuriating in the feel of familiar fingers massaging shampoo into his hair. By the time they stepped out and Ianto set about drying them both off with big, warm, fluffy towels, he was feeling relaxed and almost boneless. Dressed in the pyjamas, and with comfy slippers on their feet, they went across the corridor to the kitchen, where they found Alonso fixing himself a sandwich.

“Oh, hi! I was hungry, I hope you don’t mind me helping myself.”

“Not at all, that’s what it’s here for. How’s your room?”

“Sheer luxury! My whole apartment back on Sto would fit in it!”

“One of the many great things about living onboard a TARDIS is that there’s no shortage of space. You should ask her to show you to the gardens when you’re rested.”

“I’ll do that, thank you.” Alonso picked up his plate and mug. “I think I’ll eat in my room. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight. If there’s anything you need, just ask the TARDIS.”

”I will.”

As soon as Alonso had left, Ianto turned to Jack. “What do you fancy for dinner?” 

He was a little surprised that Jack ignored the opportunity for innuendo. The months of believing Ianto was dead had obviously left some scars, but he was confident that Jack just needed time to recover and adjust.

“Pizza?” Jack sounded so hopeful that Ianto couldn’t help laughing. 

“I think that can be arranged. Cheese and tomato? Pepperoni? Hawaiian? Something more elaborate?”

“Pepperoni, with mushrooms.”

Ianto opened one of the freezer units and pulled out the chosen pizza, disposing of the wrapping and popping their dinner into a kind of futuristic microwave to cook. “Should be ready in a few minutes.” He got plates out of a cupboard and set them on a tray, then turned to a coffee machine. “You want coffee with your pizza?”

“Please!” Jack’s mouth watered at the thought.

By the time the pizza was ready, the coffee was starting to burble, filling the kitchen with its rich, dark aroma. Ianto poured two cups, then poured the rest of the brew into an insulated jug for later. He added napkins and some fresh fruit to the tray, set the pizza in the middle, neatly sliced, and with Jack in tow, made his way back across the corridor to the room they now shared.

For once, Ianto was happy to break his rule against eating in bed. The two of them snuggled together, the tray of food resting across their laps, munching pizza and drinking coffee. If he closed his eyes, Ianto thought, they could almost be back at the Hub, sitting on the sofa beneath the old Torchwood sign, sharing a late dinner after the others had left for the night. The thought brought back memories of Tosh and Owen, dead and gone, and he had to swallow hard because of a sudden lump in his throat. Some things that were lost would forever remain lost. But Jack was found, and if Ianto had his way, he would never lose the man he loved ever again.

TBC in Chapter 25


	25. Who I Am With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reunited at long last, Jack and Ianto have a long talk about what was, and what lies ahead for both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Challenge #130: Identity at fan_flashworks.
> 
> **Spoilers:** CoE, House of the Dead, Miracle Day.

Jack woke with a start, unsure of where he was. He’d had a dream, such a vivid dream he could almost have believed it real, but that would have been impossible. Ianto was long gone…

Someone shifted at Jack’s side in the darkness and after some sleepily innocent groping, a warm hand came to rest on his chest, over his heart.

“Jack? You okay, cariad?”

“Ianto?”

“Who else would it be? Could we have a little light, please?”

That last comment was apparently not directed at Jack as a low female voice replied. “Of course, Ianto.” 

A gentle, diffuse glow lit the darkness, not so bright that it hurt Jack’s eyes, but bright enough for him to see his surroundings, and the man in bed beside him.

“Ianto. I thought I’d dreamed all this…”

“It’s as real as you are, Jack, and so am I.” Ianto shifted closer, wrapping his arms around the man he’d searched so long for. “I know this must be hard for you to believe, it is for me as well in some ways, but we’re both alive and we’re together, and right now that’s all that matters.”

“I was so lost without you,” Jack murmured against Ianto’s chest. “I didn’t know who I was anymore. You were gone, Torchwood was gone, everything that gave me purpose and a reason to keep going was gone. With the Rift closed I wasn’t needed on Earth anymore, I was just drifting, trying to find myself again, but I couldn’t because nothing made sense without you in my life.”

“I’m sorry, Jack. You know I never wanted to leave you like that. But if I hadn’t died then, the way I did, you would have lost me some other time, some other way, and then I probably never would’ve been able to come back to you. I think, bad as it was, maybe it had to be that way so that I could become like you and you’d never have to lose me again. Maybe everything that happened, everything we did, was just leading to this, a new beginning for both of us.”

Jack lifted his head to look at Ianto. “You mean like fate or destiny?”

“I don’t know, maybe. Or maybe it’s the universe’s way of making up for making you immortal in the first place, or a way of balancing things out. One immortal throws the balance of the universe off, but two sets things right again. Who knows? I’m not even sure the why of it is really important. Being with you again is enough for me.”

“For me too.” Jack smiled a little tremulously. “How long have you been…” he waved a hand vaguely, “out here?”

“Getting on for a year, I think. I haven’t been keeping very good track of time, plus I took a brief jaunt into the past at one point to save the crew of a freighter, then lived my way back to the present day… Time travel makes keeping track of time difficult.” Ianto frowned.

Jack chuckled. “Don’t I know it! And you’ve been searching for me all that time?”

Ianto nodded. “We’ve done other things too of course, learning how to fit in out here.”

“Like rescuing a freighter crew?”

“That was one of our more ambitious adventures, and not something I want to attempt too often. At least, not until I have a better idea of what I’m doing. I don’t want to screw up any timelines.” He looked at Jack. “Tracking you down was proving difficult, so I had to find ways to fill in time while we searched. I’d tried showing your picture around spaceports but I wasn’t getting anywhere, so then I tried asking questions in the various black markets that seem to be everywhere.”

“That could’ve been risky.” Jack took Ianto’s hand, gripping it tight. “Some of those people are dangerous.”

“I know, but I took precautions. I didn’t just barge in asking questions, I created a new identity for myself and went in disguise, asked questions discreetly, let it be known that the man I was looking for had stolen something very valuable from me. You did, you know,” he added, reaching out to cup Jack’s cheek in one hand. “You stole my heart.” He leaned in to kiss Jack softly.

“My clever Ianto,” Jack murmured, admiringly. “So, who are you when you’re not being you?”

Ianto blushed, a tide of pink staining his cheeks. “Well, I had to pick a name that, if you heard it, might make you curious enough to investigate. After all, I was trying to find you.”

“And?” Jack was grinning now, swept up in Ianto’s tale. “What name did you choose?”

Biting his lip, Ianto peeped at Jack from beneath his lashes. “You’ll laugh.”

“Probably,” Jack agreed, “but tell me anyway.”

“Okay, around the black markets I go by the name Desmond Llewellyn, but everyone knows me as Des, bodyguard for hire.”

Jack stared at him for a long moment, a slow smile spreading across his lips. “The actor who played your second favourite Bond character; clever! So, has anyone tried to hire you?”

“I’ve taken several bodyguarding jobs, I’ve earned my reputation, but I’m choosy about my clients.” There was a twinkle in his eyes as he said that. “I ensure both sides play fair during business negotiations. And when I’m not doing that, I’m just myself, helping people in need.”

“You constantly amaze me, Ianto Jones. Thrown into a literally alien environment, you just adapt and fit in. You would have made a great Time Agent.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Good, because it was meant as one. A lot of Time Agency candidates washed out during training because they weren’t able to adapt, and they’d been around aliens and space travel their entire lives, but I think you could make a place for yourself no matter where you wound up. That’s a rare skill, something you should be proud of.”

“I didn’t do it all alone though, I had help. My TARDIS has been guiding me from the start. She’s here,” Ianto tapped the side of his head, “in my mind all the time, telling me what to say, what to do, teaching me. I couldn’t have done any of it without her.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Jack smiled, “you’ve always had more going on in your head than anyone I’ve ever met. You’re observant, you have an amazing memory, you know what people want before they even know it themselves. Even without this magnificent ship, I have no doubt that you’d make out just fine. That’s just who you are.”

It was surreal, this conversation in the half-light of Ianto’s bedroom, dreamlike even, but it was real. The more they talked, the more sure of that Jack became. He didn’t understand how he could be so lucky, was sure he didn’t deserve this gift of a second chance, but nevertheless he wasn’t going to waste it. He had his Ianto back and he was never going to let go of him again.

“I love you, Ianto, I should have told you that long ago, but I was a fool. I knew I’d lose you someday and I thought it would hurt less if I didn’t admit how I felt.” He let out a bitter half laugh. “So good at conning people I even managed to con myself. But I was wrong, losing you tore me apart and I didn’t even have time to grieve. I had to pick myself up and find a way to save the world again. All those children who would’ve become just the next fix for a race of junkie aliens; I was all that stood between them and their fate, and I wasn’t good enough.”

“You saved them though, defeated the 456.”

“I did, but the price was too high, Ianto. I did a terrible thing, something I’ll never forgive myself for. You have no idea…”

“I do, Jack. I know what you had to do. Once again you had to make an impossible decision, one life against millions, and you made it. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard that was for you.”

“How do you know that?” Jack was stunned, as much by the fact that Ianto was looking at him with such compassion instead of the disgust he would have expected.

“I managed to speak to Lizzie from orbit, filled her in on everything that had happened. My TARDIS gathered video footage, telephone conversations, emails, everything she could so that Her Majesty would have a clear picture of just what had been done behind her back and who was involved. It was the best I could do under the circumstances. At least it gave her the information she needed to clean house, both among the Cabinet and throughout UNIT’s ranks. I saw, Jack. I watched the footage myself, I needed to know what had left you so broken, so I could help you to heal.”

“I don’t think there’s any way I can heal from that. I was a father and a grandfather, Ianto, now I’m neither. I sacrificed my grandson for the sake of the world and my daughter disowned me. I can’t blame her, Steven was everything to her and I took him from her. What kind of monster does that make me?”

Ianto shook his head. “Not a monster, Jack, just a man, backed into a corner where you literally had no other choice but to do what you did.”

“I could’ve refused.”

“And what would that have gained? Your grandson was the only child any of those people had access to. If you hadn’t done the deed then they would’ve killed you and one of them would have done it, Dekker, or Johnson, and they wouldn’t have given a damn about whether Stephen was scared, or injured in the process. One way or another, what happened to Stephen was inevitable, he was never going to walk out of there alive no matter what you did, but you made sure he didn’t suffer more than was absolutely necessary, you made sure he knew how much he was loved and that what he was doing was the bravest thing anyone could do. Because of you, Stephen was able to die as a hero and not as a pawn. Under the circumstances, that was the greatest gift you could give him. I’m more sorry than I can put into words that you had to make that soul-destroying decision, but you have to stop blaming yourself.”

Jack let Ianto’s words slowly sink in. He didn’t agree with everything his lover had said, he was still too full of guilt and shame for that, but even so he knew Ianto was right about one thing. From the moment they’d realised that a child would be needed as a conduit for the signal to destroy the 456, Stephen’s life had been forfeit. The only way he could have lived would have been if they’d condemned millions of children to a fate even worse than death.

Ianto was speaking again and Jack dragged himself out of the morass of his thoughts to listen. “From the moment the 456 arrived and the children started chanting, all our options were snatched away from us. The government made sure that everyone who knew of the 456 from before was killed or otherwise prevented from telling what they knew. They tried to kill us, destroyed our base along with all the equipment and information we might have used to find a solution, and left us on the run with next to no resources. If they hadn’t, we would’ve had five days to find a way to combat the threat, and chances are no one would’ve had to die. If you need someone to blame, then blame those who prevented us from doing our job and left you with no other way to save the world’s children. You did the best you could under the circumstances, and it cost you, Alice, and Stephen a price none of you should ever have had to pay, but that doesn’t make you a monster. If there’d been another way and you’d had the time to find it, things would’ve been different, but time ran out and you did the only thing you could, just like you always have.”

Jack was openly crying by now, and Ianto wrapped his arms around his lover, holding him close and rubbing his back until he grew quiet again.

“Thank you.” Jack’s voice was muffled by Ianto’s shoulder.

“For what?”

“For loving me, for still wanting me, after everything I did. You should hate me; anyone else would.”

“I know you Jack; whatever you might think of yourself, you’re a good man. You care about others and you do your best to help, even when all the odds are stacked against you. I could never hate you for what you were forced to do - you hate yourself enough already - and I don't pity you, but I will not stand by and let you wallow either. It's not my place to forgive you; only you and Alice can do that. You did something horrible, and there’s no getting around that, but there's nothing either of us can do to change what happened. God knows I would if I could, but at least I made sure that those who ultimately held responsibility for what you had to do will be paying the price for the rest of their lives. Lizzie can be counted on to get justice for Stephen and Alice, and for all the other families that suffered and lost loved ones. It’s not much consolation, but it’s something. Now, don’t you think it’s time you stopped beating yourself up over something that can’t be undone? There’s a whole big universe out there, full of all kinds of people who could use a helping hand. That’s what we do; help those in need. It’s who we are. Let the Doctor take care of the big, world-shaking catastrophes, I’m sure we can find more than enough smaller-scale problems that need fixing. What d’you say?”

Jack nodded, giving a slightly shaky smile. “Okay, I think I could do that.”

“Good. Now, why don’t we get showered and dressed and head up to the garden room? There are some people, friends of mine, that I’d like you to meet.”

 

OoOoOoO

 

By the time Jack and Ianto reached the Garden Room, Alonso was already having breakfast with the Tallans, fresh fruit and a sort of unleavened bread toasted over one of their small fire pits. The sky overhead was a clear, pale blue and the sunlight felt pleasantly warm against their bare arms. Jack wasn’t ready to assume his Captain persona again just yet, so they’d made a brief trip down to the wardrobe level and kitted themselves out in jeans and t-shirts.

Ianto had brought along cups and a couple of big flasks of coffee as his contribution to the breakfast menu, so after introductions had been made, he served everyone and he and Jack joined the others to eat. Ianto explained the Tallans’ situation and Jack nodded.

“When I fetched you back from their home planet after you were rift-napped, my VM would have stored the coordinates, just like it does every time I use the teleport function.”

“Then you can tell the TARDIS where it is?”

“I will be able to, once we’ve been to Paramian and collected everything I left in storage there.”

Ianto frowned. “But…” He pointed to Jack’s wrist. “You’re wearing your VM.”

Jack turned his arm. “Look closer. This isn’t mine, it’s one I cobbled together from parts of a couple of broken ones Torchwood picked up back in the Thirties and Forties, plus some components I picked up in the black markets.” He winked at Ianto. “You were asking in the right places, even if it didn’t get you a lead that panned out. Anyway, I didn’t want to risk my own, over the years I’ve loaded a lot of stuff onto it that I didn’t want to lose, so once I’d got this one working, I copied a few things to it and stored mine for safe-keeping. I didn’t bother copying the coordinate logs over though, didn’t expect to need those since this one doesn’t have a working teleport function. Yet. I’m still working on it, but I’m missing some essential parts. Not that I’ll need it now, at least not for space or time travel.”

“I gather it has other useful functions.”

“Oh yeah. When I get a few other bits fixed you can have this one and I’ll wear my own. You can store music, voice messages, photographs and video on it, use it like a phone… No promises, but you might even be able to call your sister on it.”

Ianto’s eyes lit up with hope and he smiled. “That would be wonderful!” He reined in his enthusiasm. “Well, if it works.”

“Even if it doesn’t, with the TARDIS’s help I should be able to fix the teleport. Then if we were to get as close to Earth as we could, even though you can’t teleport down, I should be able to. Maybe I could bring Rhi to you for a visit. Or maybe I could get my hands on a small shuttle and bring the whole family up. What d’you think?” He directed the question towards the sky and the TARDIS’s voice seemed to come out of thin air.

“I believe it is only Ianto and myself who are unable to land on earth within the specific period of time influenced by the time/space bubble. I can see no reason why you should not be able to visit the planet and enable Ianto’s family to visit us.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do!” Jack was smiling, happy that he could do something special for Ianto.

“We will, but not yet. First we have to visit Paramian, and then we’re taking Auber and the others home. Once the TARDIS knows where Talla is, we’ll be able to keep in touch, stop by for visits, and any of Auber’s people who want to can come with us on a trip to the stars.”

“There are many of my people who would delight in the opportunity,” Auber agreed. “We have learned many things in our time aboard the TARDIS, many new tales to tell our people. We are a simple folk, we have no desire to build spacecraft of our own, or to live in cities, but knowledge can enrich our lives nonetheless. I hope you will all stop a while with my people, there will be festivities to celebrate our safe return after so many moons, and it would please us greatly to have you share in our happiness.”

Olan spoke up then, looking directly at Ianto and Jack. “When we return home, Diller and I wish to pledge ourselves to each other, and we would be honoured if you would both attend the joining ceremony where we will be united as one. If not for you, Ianto, we would have remained slaves with no hope of seeing our home and our people again. We owe you a debt we can never adequately repay, but we would make such repayment as we can by welcoming you into our tribe as family.”

“He grows more like you every day,” Ianto told Auber, “a son any father would be proud of.” He turned to Olan and Diller. “You honour us. We would be delighted to attend your joining ceremony. Thank you. What about Alonso?” He turned to the third human member of the group.

“Oh, I already told everyone else, but I think I’ll take my leave of you all when we reach Paramian. It’s not that far from there to Sto, and to be honest, after the last few weeks adrift in that little scout ship, I think I’ve had my fill of adventure for the time being. I’m looking forward to leading a quiet, uneventful life and seeing my own family again.”

Ianto nodded. “Very well, it’s your choice, but I’ll give you our phone number before you leave, just in case you ever change your mind, or need our help for any reason. I owe you for being there for Jack when I couldn’t be.” He squeezed Jack’s hand, smiling at his lover, before turning back to Alonso. “It’s good to have friends; you’ll always be welcome here.”

Alonso smiled. “Thank you, I’ll remember that.”

TBC in Chapter 26


	26. Cake And Celebrations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s been a long journey, but Auber and the other Tallans are finally home. That calls for a celebration or two, and what’s a celebration without cake?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Spoilers:** CoE, House of the Dead, Miracle Day.
> 
> Written for Challenge #131: Cake at fan_flashworks.
> 
> Well, here we are at last, after more than a year of writing – the final chapter of Through Time and Space. Hopefully it won’t be the last story set in this ‘Verse though, just the end of this particular story. I hope you’ve all enjoyed reading my epic fanfic as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. Thanks to everyone who has read, commented, followed, favourited, and left kudos, you kept me motivated to finish the journey and I salute you all!

Saying goodbye to Alonso on Paramian was both simple and unbelievably difficult for Jack. Over the months that they’d been travelling together, they’d got to know each other well and respect had blossomed alongside their friendship. Alonso had helped Jack more than he’d realised at the time, allowing him to remember all the good times he’d had with Ianto and the rest of his team instead of just dwelling on those fateful five days when his whole world had been systematically torn apart. Letting go of the person who had become his anchor was going to leave a hole, but the truth was that he didn’t need Alonso any longer and it was time for the other man to get on with his life. He was comforted by the knowledge that they’d be able to keep in touch and by Ianto’s promise that they’d visit once Alonso had settled back into life on Sto.

Ianto stood back and watched Jack and his friend hug. Over the last few days, Jack had gradually become more like his old self, though he was clearly still grieving for his grandson and his shattered relationship with his daughter. It would probably still take some time before he stopped blaming himself, or at least managed to make some sort of peace with everything that had happened. Nevertheless, he seemed lighter, less burdened, and ready to start living again, for which Ianto was grateful. He’d hated seeing Jack looking so broken.

They’d spent the previous day, after getting Jack’s belongings from storage, seeing the sights and booking Alonso passage on the next star liner heading for Sto; this time he was to be a passenger on the luxury liner rather than crew, and the ship itself had an excellent safety record, so hopefully the trip would be relatively uneventful. Now, as Alonso took his place in line to board, Ianto moved over to stand beside Jack, twining their fingers together.

“I’ll miss him,” Jack murmured.

“I know. So will I, even though I only knew him for a short while. We’ll be seeing him again before too long though.” He squeezed Jack’s hand as Alonso disappeared from sight into the boarding tunnel. “D’you want to stay until the ship leaves?”

“No point really; it’s not like Alonso could wave to us once he’s aboard.”

That was true. Even if they made their way up to the observation deck, all they’d be able to see would be the bulk of the ship in its berth, the ports too small at their distance to see anyone who might be looking out.

Hand in hand, they made their way back to the TARDIS, where they’d left her masquerading as a very ordinary door in an archway that in reality led into a narrow alley. The door opened of its own accord as they approached, closing softy behind them once more as they stepped through into the welcoming, coffee-scented console room. 

Jack leant against the wood-panelled wall, frowning, as Ianto brewed them both a coffee using the machine that stood on its own little station in an alcove.

“That looks an awful lot like the coffee machine we had in the Hub.”

Ianto laughed. “I think it might well be, just repaired, or reconstituted after the explosion. Apparently a lot of the décor was influenced by images from my mind. Not all of it was successful, but we worked the kinks out.” He told Jack about the Conversion Unit-inspired medical bay he’d been confronted with during his initial exploration of his new home.

“Ouch! That must’ve been an unpleasant surprise.”

“To put it mildly; I think I freaked out a bit. It’s much nicer now it’s been remodelled, all white and blocky. Not that I’ve needed to use it except to treat accidental sunburn.”

Settled into comfortable chairs, their sipped their coffee. Silence reigned for a few minutes as they savoured the brew and munched on slices of chocolate cake Ianto had fetched from the small auxiliary kitchen just off the console room. Finally, Ianto spoke again.

“Next stop, Talla?”

Jack nodded slowly. “I’ve seen my friend off, now to get yours home.” He smiled. “I imagine the rest of their tribe will be very happy to see them.”

 

OoOoOoO

 

Auber and his people had described in detail the area of their planet that they called home, and the TARDIS had also scanned the images they held in their memories, so they could be taken not only to their home planet, but to the lands occupied by their tribe.

The planet was as beautiful as Ianto remembered, though on his last visit he’d been in a different area, living with one of the many other tribes that called Talla home. Auber guided them to land at the edge of a copse of trees, a short distance from his tribe’s village. The TARDIS took her favourite form, that of a tall tree with spreading branches, which she said was the best shape for collecting airborne particles from which to create anything they needed. Stepping out onto the bluish grass, cropped short by the village’s wandering herds of grazing animals, Auber and the others simply stood, breathing in the familiar scents, gazing around themselves with a kind of quiet joy as Jack and Ianto looked on.

“I had accepted that we might never see our home again,” Auber said softly. “To be standing here once more is a dream made truth.” Sniffing the air, he wrinkled his snout in a smile. “The air smells of late summer, we have been gone for more than a year. Come, we have kept our families waiting for long enough.”

With a spring in their step, the small band of Tallans set off toward the cluster of huts that could be seen some distance away. It was mid-morning, so the communal cooking fires were merely smouldering until they were needed for making lunch, sending up thin, lazy trails of smoke into the clear, warm air. As the travellers approached, they saw that the village’s inquisitive inhabitants were gathering just outside the circle of their dwellings, no doubt drawn there by the curious sound of the TARDIS’s arrival. As soon as they were close enough to be recognised, the air filled with excited chatter and the villagers scurried out to greet them.

Jatso, Kellik, and Diller’s families clustered around their long-lost kin, everyone patting each other and rubbing snouts in enthusiastic greeting; Auber’s other children, three boys and twin girls, clustered around him and Olan, demanding to know where they had been for so long. Auber’s mate had passed some years before, when their youngest son had been no older than young Jatso, but he had brothers and sisters in this and neighbouring tribes scattered across the wide valley that was their home.

“There are many tales to be told,” Auber told his family and the members of his tribe. “Send out runners, gather the tribes and prepare a feast to welcome our new friends. The tales we must now tell should be heard by all of our kin.”

In Auber’s absence, his eldest son, Thilo, had become tribe leader, and now the gathered people of the tribe turned to him for confirmation of Auber’s orders. He nodded to his father. “It shall be as you say.” Despatching runners, he turned to walk with his father back into their settlement where the other Tallans were already scurrying about, preparing for the requested feast. “Will you take your place as tribe leader again?” he asked diffidently.

“No, my son, my time as leader is done. I shall take my place with the elders while I am here, but I think I am not yet done adventuring. I taught you well, it is clear to me that you have been a strong leader in my absence, I would not take that right from you now.”

“Thank you, father. I shall do my best to live up to your example.”

“Then I can be sure that the tribe of Nerrim is in safe hands.”

By mid afternoon, the tribes were gathered, babbling with excitement as a great feast of vegetable stew, flat bread, fresh fruit and delightful little cakes filled with sweet sap was prepared and eaten. Then, as the first moon rose, Auber took his place in front of the vast gathering and in a clear voice, began to tell the tale of his small band’s adventures on other worlds.

The story captivated everyone and all four moons were up by the time it ended. Many questions were asked and answered, and then Ianto was called to take his turn in front of the crowds to tell a little about earth and the places he’d visited before finding Auber and the others. Finally, he extended an invitation to any Tallans who wished to experience other worlds first hand, to travel aboard his ship for half a year. Auber had already decided to stay on, and would act as a sort of den mother and leader so that families would not need to worry about their sons and daughters. As a tribal elder, he was well able to teach the youngsters anything they needed to know.

At last, with the talking done, the gathering divided into family units, settling down to camp beneath the stars. The Tallans seldom slept indoors when the weather was good, preferring to spread their pallets where they could freely breathe the sweet night air and be woken by the rising sun. Jack and Ianto stretched out on their own bedrolls by the embers of one of the large cooking fires and worn out by the excitement and fresh air, slept until morning.

 

OoOoOoO

 

The next day dawned bright and sunny, perfect weather for Olan and Diller’s joining ceremony, which was to be held at noon, when both the suns were high in the sky, and followed by another feast. The Tallans must have been up since before dawn as the camp was bustling, preparations for the festivities already underway when Ianto and Jack woke. They quickly rolled up their beds, stowing them in Auber’s family hut, then hurried to the TARDIS to get themselves ready.

Everyone was to be dressed in their very best festival clothes, so Jack and Ianto scoured the wardrobe level for suitably colourful attire, eventually emerging in light coloured trousers and brightly patterned Hawaiian shirts, which were greatly admired by everyone. Ianto felt somewhat silly but didn’t want to let everyone else down by wearing his usual attire, and anyway, the weather was really too hot for a suit. 

Several other couples were also going to be wed at the same time as Olan and Diller; apparently it wasn’t unusual for couples to wait until a large gathering of tribes to have their joining ceremonies so there could be one big celebration instead of a bunch of smaller ones. It gave Jack an irresistible idea.

“Ianto, how would you feel about you and I getting married?”

“Are you proposing?” Ianto raised one eyebrow, looking surprised.

“Yes, I guess I am.” Impulsively Jack dropped to one knee and took Ianto’s hand between his own. “Ianto Jones, will you do me the honour of marrying me?”

As far as Jack was concerned, Ianto’s smile outshone the suns. “Yes, you idiot, of course I will! Nothing would make me happier.”

Jack’s answering smile was every bit as radiant as Ianto’s. In the back of his mind, Ianto could sense the joy his TARDIS was feeling. She was quite giddy with happiness for them.

Together, Jack and Ianto sought out Auber to tell him the news; unsurprisingly, he was delighted. 

“This is joyous news indeed; may you find great happiness together,” he told them warmly. “Will you be pledging yourselves to each other in the joining ceremony with the other couples?”

“Would that be allowed?” Ianto asked.

“Of course. You are both family now, you belong to the Tribe of Nerrim.”

“I meant,” Ianto blushed slightly, “will no one think it strange as we’re both male?”

“Why should they? Each of us joins with the one who makes our spirits sing; male or female, it is no matter, we have always followed our hearts.”

Jack and Ianto shared a look. “As long as no one minds, I can’t think of anything more perfect,” Ianto decided.

“Our first wedding,” Jack beamed back at him.

“First?”

“Well, what’s legal here won’t be considered binding everywhere we go, so there’ll probably be other ceremonies on other worlds. We could become the most married couple in the universe! We’ll be legendary!”

Ianto laughed. “Why not? Sounds like fun!” He looked around at the crowds. “You know, I always wanted a big wedding, but this takes the cake.”

 

OoOoOoO

 

The ceremony was to be held in a nearby meadow where two trees beside a sparkling stream had been trained to form an archway. The TARDIS, wanting to be as involved as she could be, had moved position and was now standing a short distance away, her spreading branches providing a shady, cooler spot for the Tallans to set out rough wooden trestle tables piled with fruits and vegetables, several kinds of bread, little flat, sweet biscuits decorated with flowers, and cakes made of ground nuts and dried fruit. There were other cakes too, small, spicy and fragrant, which would be used in the ceremony itself.

Auber, Jatso and Kellik had disappeared inside the TARDIS soon after she arrived in the meadow, their presence having been requested. Jack and Ianto had been curious, but the TARDIS had told them to keep out or they would spoil her surprise. Unwilling to offend her, they’d done as they were told, instead helping out with the preparations wherever they could, which mostly meant fetching and carrying. Not that they minded; the entire settlement was in a party mood with much laughter and merriment, so that even mundane chores seemed like fun.

Eventually, shortly before the ceremony was due to begin, the three Tallans emerged from the TARDIS. Jatso set up a sturdy table from the console room just outside and to one side of her doorway. Auber and Kellik followed, bearing between them the biggest and most elaborate wedding cake Ianto had ever seen. It was seven tiers, delicately iced in white, and decorated with tiny icing flowers in red and blue. Arrayed on its surface were finely modelled miniature figures representing of all the Tallan couples who were to be joined that day, and in the centre of the top tier stood a mini Jack and Ianto, in their usual attire; Ianto in a pin-striped suit and red shirt, and Jack in his World War Two era clothing and coat. It was a marvel; Ianto only hoped it would taste as good as it looked.

‘Of course it will,” the TARDIS murmured indignantly in his head. ‘I used your favourite fruitcake recipe, the one you liked to make for Christmas. I wanted to contribute to the feast. There will be hot Welshcakes too, for after the ceremony.’

Ianto couldn’t help smiling. ‘I wasn’t really doubting your skills,’ he assured his ship, ‘I was mostly remembering Rhi’s wedding cake. It looked beautiful, but it was dreadfully dry and as heavy as lead. Johnny’s mother had made it so we all had to pretend to enjoy it.’

‘I can assure you that this wedding cake will not disappoint.’

‘I’m sure you’re right.’

By then, there were crowds of Tallans gathering around to admire the snow white, towering confection, and Jack was busy explaining to them that where Ianto came from, such cakes were a wedding tradition.

“The newly joined couple cuts the cake and makes a wish, and everyone gets a slice,” he told his audience. “They’re usually not quite so big, but then there are a lot more people here than there are at most earth weddings.”

That, Ianto thought, was rather an understatement!

 

OoOoOoO

 

By the time the twin suns had reached their highest point in the sky, the preparations were completed and everybody had gathered in the meadow beside the archway. Of the seven couples to be joined that day, Olan and Diller would be first while Jack and Ianto had opted to be last, partly because Ianto didn’t think it would be polite to jump ahead of the other couples, and partly so that they could watch everyone else and make sure they fully understood what to do. Auber had explained the ceremony to them, and it sounded straightforward enough, rather like a handfasting on earth, but still, it wouldn’t hurt to observe first so that they didn’t make any awkward mistakes.

The combined tribes gathered, forming a circle dozens deep around the tree arch and the seven couples who were to be joined. The eldest joined couples from each of the tribes stepped forward, raising their joined hands to form a tunnel leading towards the archway on the other side of the stream and one Tallan, older and more grizzled than any Ianto had seen, hobbled over leaning on a tall staff to officiate. Despite her obvious age, her voice was clear and strong.

“We gather on this beautiful day to bear witness as these of our people pledge their lives and hearts, one to another, in accordance with our traditions.” She turned to the couples. “May each of you find joy and contentment with your chosen partner and may you live long, rich lives together.”

A small Tallan child trotted forward then, carrying a plate of the ceremonial cakes, each no bigger than a walnut. All those who were to be joined took a cake in their left hand, then bowed their heads so that the child’s mother could place a woven circlet of flowers on each head. Ianto straightened up carefully, hoping his didn’t slip down over his eyes. Human heads were smaller than Tallan heads. Thankfully, the makers seemed to have taken that into account and though it slid down his forehead a bit, it stayed put.

At a gesture from the officiator, Olan and Diller came to stand before her. They announced their names and tribe, vowing to stand together as one and to share each other’s joys and sorrows through this life and into the next, then with their right hands clasped together, they fed each other the ceremonial cakes they held in their other hand before clasping their now empty left hands.

Bowing first to each other and then to the officiator, they ducked their heads to walk through the tunnel formed by the elder couples, jumped the stream and stepped through the arch formed by the two trees where they stopped and raised their joined hands to form the beginning of another tunnel on the far side of the stream.

One by one, the other couples followed suit until by the time it was Jack and Ianto’s turn, there was a tunnel formed of six couples on the far side of the tree arch.

“Bet their arms are getting tired,” Jack whispered to Ianto just as they were beckoned forward.

Walking side-by-side, they went to stand in front of the officiator. Ianto spoke first.

“I, Ianto Jones of the Tribe of Nerrim, pledge my life and heart to the one who stands beside me, to be as one and to share both joys and sorrows, in this life and the next; may our love never fade.”

Jack, of course, couldn’t resist going a little off script.

“I, Jack Harkness of the Tribe of Nerrim, pledge my life and heart to my gorgeous Ianto who stands beside me, to be as one and to share both joys and sorrows, in this life and the next; may our love never fade.” Jack smiled at Ianto, clasping his partner’s right hand with his own as they turned to face each other, each popping the small cake they held into the other’s mouth. They were crisp on the outside, but moist and spicy on the inside. Jack licked a stray crumb from his lips with a smirk and Ianto rolled his eyes. Their left hands met and clasped, and they bowed first to each other, then to the officiator, who stepped to one side, allowing them to approach and pass through the tunnel. Being taller than most Tallans, they had to bend a little more, but they got through without bumping into anyone and easily jumped the narrow stream, taking their place at the end of the line, arms raised as the officiator followed them, turning towards the newly joined couples and striking the end of her staff against a previously unnoticed stone set it the ground. It rang like a bell.

“May you live your lives together well, bringing joy and harmony to your families and your tribes, and peace and plenty to all our lands,” she intoned as the older couples who had formed the first tunnel ducked under the raised arms of the newlyweds to complete the ceremony. The staff struck the stone again with a second clear, bell-like note, and as it faded, the officiator raised her voice so that all could hear her. “Let the celebrations begin!”

Still holding hands in their pairs, the other newlywed couples broke into a dance, spinning each other around dizzyingly as music began to play, drums and pipes and rattling gourds. Jack and Ianto did their best to follow the steps, but quickly found it impossible to keep track, never mind keep up. It didn’t seem to matter and soon everybody seemed to have joined in, skipping and twirling, making the most of the happy occasion.

Gradually, people began to drop out of the dance as they tired, drifting over to the tables of food and drink in the shade of the TARDIS’s leafy branches. Breathless and giddy, but still holding hands, Jack and Ianto meandered in that direction too, badly in need of a cool drink. They quenched their thirst with tart and refreshing fruit juice, sipping slowly as they cooled down from their exertions. The Tallans, despite their fur, seemed not to even notice the heat, though Ianto noticed that quite a few of them had very wet feet as if they’d gone paddling in the stream before seeking refreshments.

A while later, Auber approached them where they were relaxing with their backs against the TARDIS’s trunk.

“Ah, there you are! Is it not time yet to cut the cake?” His eyes were bright with eagerness and Jack couldn’t help but laugh.

“You know, I do believe it is!” He scrambled to his feet, offering Ianto a hand up. “Come along, Mr Jones, can’t keep our guests waiting for cake!”

“Shouldn’t that be Harkness-Jones now?” Ianto asked archly.

Jack considered that. “Why not Jones-Harkness?” 

“Doesn’t sound right somehow. The other way around just flows better.”

“How can I argue with that logic?” Jack teased. “Okay, Harkness-Jones it is. Let’s go cut that cake!” And he strode off towards the tables, practically dragging a laughing Ianto behind him.

Breaking tradition slightly, they dismantled the cake before cutting it, setting the seven tiers side by side on the table so that each of the couples could cut that all-important first slice and make a wish. Ianto didn’t know what Jack had wished for, but his own wish was that Jack would find inner peace and be able to set aside the guilt he still felt over the deaths of Stephen, Tosh, Owen, Gray, and so many others he hadn’t been able to protect or save. He didn’t deserve to be so weighed down by past losses, especially since he could neither have predicted nor prevented the events that caused them.

The cake really did taste as good as it looked, maybe even better; the sweet icing carried a hint of lemon and the cake itself was richly fruited yet still somehow light as a feather. There was just enough for everyone to have a small slice, something Ianto should have expected since the TARDIS had created it and no doubt planned accordingly, so no one got left out, but Ianto couldn’t help wishing there’d been some left over for later.

Once the last crumb of wedding cake had been consumed, Auber, Jatso and Kellik went back inside the TARDIS and returned with large platters laden with stacks of warm Welshcakes. “Help yourselves,” Auber boomed cheerfully, “there’s plenty more where these came from!”

Ianto grew misty-eyed as he bit into one.

“Are you okay?” Jack asked, concerned.

“Yeah, it’s just… This is the taste of home. We always used to have freshly baked Welshcakes on special days. Birthdays, celebrations, Christmas breakfast, it was a family tradition when Rhi and I were little. I wish she and the kids could’ve been here today, they would’ve loved all this.”

“We’ll bring them here someday, I promise.” Jack slipped his arms around his husband, sharing a crumb-filled, Welshcake-flavoured kiss. “We have all the time in the universe ahead of us, and a time machine to help us make the most of it.”

Ianto smiled at that. “True, we have a lot to look forward to; there’s still so much I want to see.”

“That’s good, because there’s a lot I want to show you; places I visited with the Doctor and with the Time Agency, places I’ve only ever heard about and never seen. This is what I always wanted, the chance to show you all that’s beautiful in the universe.”

Ianto nodded. “I know, and I’ve seen so much already but I’ve barely scratched the surface! Back on earth, most of what came through the Rift was either broken and useless, or dangerous, but I know it’s not all like that. If the people of earth only knew what wonders there are out here, perhaps they’d stop fighting each other and put their efforts into space travel so they could come and see for themselves.”

“They will someday, Ianto,” Jack assured him. “I’m living proof of that. In the future, humans will colonise dozens of planets, and we’ll be here to see it all.” He smiled as he squeezed Ianto’s hand. “This is just the beginning of our adventures through time and space!”

The End


End file.
